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Mar 17, 2008 · Hart’s unexpected death Sunday at 66 was a thunderclap across the wrestling world. Many fans first encountered him as a nefarious manager of wrestlers like Jardine, the Great Kabuki, Bobby Duncum and Pak Song Nam. Others vaguely recall he survived the February 1975 plane crash near Tampa, Fla., that claimed the life of Bobby Shane.
- The Story of The Great Kabuki
- Coming to America
- The Story of One of Wrestling’s Greatest Heel Managers: Gary Hart
- Becoming A Manager
- The Team of Gary Hart and The Great Kabuki
- The Bitter Disbandment of The Great Kabuki and Gary Hart
- Life After The Paring of The Great Kabuki and Gary Hart
Born in the aftermath of World War II in Nobeoka, Japan, The Great Kabuki, real name Akihisa Mera, grew up with the Japanese ideals of resolve and honor in battle. This was the building block to the ethos of Sumo. The traditional sport of Sumo was the foundation for Japanese wrestling, and it is an integral part of Japanese culture to this day. It ...
During these years, Akihisa Mera made a name for himself and worked most of the major territories in the South, Southeast, and Southwestern areas of the country, capturing NWA gold at every stop along the way. This was started with his 1970 run in the NWA Los Angeles promotion and his capture of their heavyweight title wrestling under the name Taka...
The winter of 1942 saw not only heaps of snow but the birth of a legend. Born that January, Gary Hart would take in the frigid air and grow up a Chicagoan, but it would be the heat in and out of the ring in Texas that he would be remembered for. Hart found his love for the business early on, and it was Fred Kohler, with his weekly Wrestling from Ma...
Until that time, he was an in-ring talent, but the eager-to-learn protégé knew the opportunity that was there and went with it. Gary Hart would make his move out of the ring and started to work as a manager. This is truly where he found his calling in front of the cameras. Behind the scenes, Hart was learning the effectiveness of proper booking and...
It was during 1981 when Mera Akihisa made his way to Dallas, and the two crossed paths, though not for the first time, as they had met during Hart’s time in Australia. Seeing the potential in Mera, Hart developed The Great Kabuki gimmick specifically for him and became his manager. Growing his hair long, painting his face, and saying nothing while ...
In his book, Gary Hart further discussed what led to disbanding his partnership with The Great Kabuki. “[Then WCCW booker] Ken Mantellgave me his idea for a Great Kabuki’s match one night by saying, ‘It’s going to be The Fabulous Freebirds against Kamala, The Missing Link, and The Great Kabuki, and The Great Kabuki will lose the fall.’ “‘Kamalaand ...
Gary Hart continued with WCCW and formed another heel stable there, called the J-Tex Corporation, with most notably Terry Funkand Great Muta, among other members. Hart eventually made his way back to Texas in the mid-’90s and started a few different promotions in the years that followed, including an attempted revival of the WCCW banner, even runni...
Mar 16, 2008 · Full wrestling profile of Gary Hart, with Career History, Real Name, Height, Weight, Age, Face/Heel Turns, Titles Won, Finishers, Theme Songs, Tag Teams, appearance changes, and more.
- Author
- A New Father. Whether right or wrong, many men self-identify through their chosen profession. The Ultimate Warrior was a bit more complex than that though.
- His Final Match. Today, the average pro wrestling career has been extended significantly. In previous eras, a performer in their 40s would've been considered old and washed up.
- Laughing With Vince McMahon. Many adages apply to the crazy world of pro wrestling. Perhaps the truest of these sayings is "Never say never" and "Time heals all wounds."
- Starring In A Music Video. Being the top star in WWE comes with a lot more responsibilities than simply showing up to an arena and wrestling night after night.
- Senior Author
- Wrote An Autobiography. In 2009 — the year after Gary Hart died of a heart attack — came the publication of his autobiography. Co-written with Philip Varriale, My Life In Wrestling… With A Little Help From My Friends is considered by fans lucky enough to own it to be a must-read, but unfortunately the book is out of print, with copies selling for hundreds (and even thousands) of dollars on eBay.
- Tried To Rekindle The Texas Wrestling Scene. After leaving WCW in 1990, Gary Hart returned to the Texas wrestling scene and spent the rest of the decade trying to bring the territory back to its former glory.
- J-Tex Corporation. As alluded to above, eventually Gary Hart put together his own stable in WCW called the J-Tex Corporation. With a name emphasizing the Texan and Japanese roots of some of its members, the group included Terry Funk, The Great Muta, “Dirty” Dick Slater, Buzz Sawyer, and another Japanese wrestler, The Dragonmaster.
- Created The Great Muta. If the above description of The Great Kabuki sounded curiously similar to fellow Japanese legend The Great Muta, that’s no coincidence.
Gary Richard Williams, (January 24, 1942 – March 16, 2008) was a former professional wrestling manager, as well as a professional wrestler in his early career, best known by his ring name Gary Hart. Hart was one of the pivotal driving forces behind what is considered to be World Class...
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Mar 19, 2008 · Gary Richard Williams, aka Playboy Gary Hart in the professional wrestling world, died Sunday after a sudden illness. He was 66. Mr. Williams, who was born Jan. 24, 1942, in Evansville, Ind., began wrestling as a teenager.
