Crazy Dave, I sympathize, but no matter how much, the building structure integrity had deteriorated way past the safety zone level, to the point where the building would have to be rebuilt, if they had gone THAT route your suggestion would've probably become a reality, but I don't know if a parking lot or office building replaced it.
I'm sure you probably got to meet a lot of the wrestlers coming in there. The Von Erichs were raised in East Texas. I'm from the Shreveport-Bossier City area, which is not very far at all from where the Von Erichs lived. The Von Erich boys as well as Fritz to me were just "Good Old Boys". That's the way they struck me.
Used to watch wccw on TV back in the 80's the Von Erich's and Freebirds those were the days. I was in my early teens now I am in my 40"s but who can forget.
I am 89 years old. In the fall of 1953 I performed at the Big-D Jamboree. I did Hank Snow's Rhumba Boogie and got a standing ovation. The place was packed. But I had just joined the U.S. Air Force and had to move to Tucson, which ended any further hopes of performing there again.
Bless you 🙏 my friend, that is an awesome memory that you have of this place, I was never there but watched 👀 on TV 📺 every week... hope you are still with us...
He played the original Sportatorium! In 1956 a rival promoter from Houston had the Sportatorium torched and half of it burnt down. It was rebuilt,squaring off the outside and putting a wall down the part that burnt. That's why there's 2 levels on one side and one level of bleachers and a flat tin wall on the other side by the back door where The American Flag used to hang. For those that are interested, there's ALOT of history and knowledge about this historic venue!
In its heyday WCCW was one of the hottest territories in all of wrestling. Von Erichs vs Freebirds is one of best fueds of all time.We watched every week.The good old days.
I grew up watching these brothers. I can't imagine Kevin growing old, missing his entire family. I take off my hat to him for the courage he's had to carry on with life. God bless him and all his family who have gone ahead 🙏. Viva Los Vonerich's!!! Greetings from El Paso Tx
@ryandavis4448 I believe they are. Now a days, I still think Vince WWE is still very much alive and popular. That's probably where they should've been. They're doing great things, though.
What I would of done I would re built the Dallas Sportatorium and make it into a Wrestling Museum. A Museum of World Class and I know for sure Fans would love that.
vince macmahon is a crook , he destroyed wrestling and traded the fans off for the sponsorship. this would have been a perfect wwe hall for wwe hall of fame
Was it "Dan Coats" that used to time the matches and say "fiiiive minutes" or "teeeennn minutes", in a real deep voice over the intercom?...and the crowd would cheer.
@@stevegamez2215 if i remember right, Coats was announcer before WCCW. back when Ftitz was feuding with with Black Jack Mulligan, Johnny Valentine......
Growing up in Chicago the AWA was our local promotion and we loved NWA on TBS. But our favorite was WCCW.Von Erichs,Freebirds,Brody,Kamala,Chris Adams,Gino Hernandez,Iceman Parsons,Jimmy Garvin with Sunshine and Precious. And Harley Race and Ric Flair would defend the world title regularly in WCCW.The great old days.
@@bubbapacha7672 Every last one of those legends you both named created great memories at The Sportatorium. It should've been renovated and saved instead of left to be vandalized and burned. It meant so much to so many.
@@chrischar9428 aww come on lol. I lived going to wccw when theyd come to temple tx. The gentleman even went to dinner with and hung out at my cousins house with all of us after one show. They were all great imho.
Kevin must be a strong person to go in there and relieve all the memories he had there with his brothers and father and all the wrestlers he fought and worked with that are no longer here with us if i was in his shoes it would have been real hard for me and would have broken down and cry God bless Kevin
I would imagine that Kevin's heart would ache as he walked down that aisle, just remembering. There's a few places in my life that, when I revisit, there is a longing. God bless us all.
Kevin seems like such a sweet spirit (although I know for a fact that in his heyday, he was a bona fide MANIAC in and out of the ring...not a bad guy, but just a fearless young hell raiser like any young and rich celebrity.) I'd love to have lunch with him and pick his brain about life. Kevin is a true warrior and a hell of a survivor. LOVE YOU, KEV DOG!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was a crappy old building, poorly insulated, hot as hell in the summers, roof leaked like a sieve when it rained, place always smelled of old sweat, it's a wonder the building didn't collapse on its own years ago, and no other building in the world was so loved by the wrestling fans. When you wrestled at the Sportatorium you know you made it as a wrestler. God I miss that crappy old building.
FerretJohn its a shame more indy guys and professionals didnt join together and restore it as not only a museum wrestling hall of fame but also to bring back wrestling to the fans a few times a week
The loss of the sportatorium is the biggest loss in wrestling history the memories this building had ones that wrestled in it they will be missed condolences to their families
It should have been designated a historical building like they did the Hart House in Calgary. So nobody can touch it & it would be protected in the future years too.
The owner culda sent the museum way I gtd it. To whomever the land value was just more important than the history. Museum wulda been very successful. It’s to bad it wasn’t to be.
So many memories of being a kid watching on ESPN. Vince McMahon was just starting to build the WWF and the CWA, AWA, WCW were what most of America was watching on tape. Wow, what a cool video
Same here, I used to watch World Class on ESPN every day after school. Occasionally they’d show the AWA. Eventually they showed GWF shows from the Sportatorium.
I never made it no secret that the Only reason I got into wrestling in the 1st place was due to the Freebirds.And in this arena there feud with the Von Erichs was born.I just love it when fans would boo the birds.They played there role as a heel to a T. It was great entertainment This place is, or now was a landmark.And to see it go down is just so sad.That place would rock when the Freebirds-Von Erichs would clash.I think we can all agree on that one.Loved those days.Thanks for posting this.
I was 4 years old when my older sisters introduced me to southwest championship wrestling in San Antonio. I was hooked. And then a few months later in 1980 they started watching wccw. Never looked back. Von erichs were my heroes. Kerry in particular. Hated the free birds. But damn did I love and appreciate them by the time I was a teenager and even more now.
I have fond memories of going to the Dallas Sportatorium. I just now found this video. It brings back a lot of good memories of an era gone by. The Von Erichs and Freebirds was one of the biggest rivalries out there. Seeing live matches in person was the best experience. Such greats as Gentlemen Chris Adam's. Bruiser Brody, Gino Hernandez. And the list goes on and on. Listening to Marc Lawrence call the matches was the best. Referee David Manning was great at what he did. I would watch it on television every chance I got. Brings back a lot of fond memories. Memories that I will hang onto for a lifetime.
It seemed like it was immortal and would last forever when I was a kid. You reach a point in your life when you start growing up and those things kind of fall by the wayside and don't seem so important anymore. It's just all distant memory, but when you get a little older you start to reflect and realize just how special it was. I've thought a lot about World Class the last ten years or so and how much I miss it all. Just a magical time in a really special place. Nothing in wrestling has ever quite compared to it. There was just something about World Class and this place that was irreplaceably unique and special. Just give me one more day to sit there with my dad and brother and hear that high pitched squeal from the crowd (even though it hurt my ears as a kid).
This smelly tin shed was one of the magical places of my childhood. The first time I heard this song on the directors cut and saw those images, I choked up quite a bit.
@@sergiogrimaldo3480 I've never been able to find the name of the song either. It doesn't list it in the credits, only possible artists who might have made it. The DVD chapter is wrong too. The DVD chapter is called "it's summertime" but that is the name of the song that was on the original release and not the directors cut. Someone told me it's called "Close your eyes", but I cannot confirm that.
This was a big part of my childhood. Brings back alot of memories. Itcwas hard watching this video. I was in those box seats with my French fries and coke. God bless the Von Erichs
Funny you said that . I was remembering when I saw Kevin walk towards the dressing room how he passed right by where the man that sold fries was. he was there for years.
Did yall hear that story about percy pringle aka pallbearer? He lived the fries..couldnt get fries that tasted like that anywhere but there. The health department came in and inspected but the fryer grease pit hadnt been drained in like six years. When they drained it they found rat bones and fur in the bottom.
Kevin Von Erich he's one of my favorite people even though I never met him personally I watched him wrestle along with his family being his brothers and father there will always be a soft spot in my heart for the Von Erichs God bless each and everyone of you especially you Kevin
i remember i moved to albq nm in 96 and i came back home to dallas in 07 and i remember riding with my sister to the jail house at lew stuart and turning on industrial and cadiz realizing that the sportatorium was gone i cried my eyes out...that to me was more than wrestling and the von erichs....it was my childhood gone ..so many memories rushed back and it saddened me so much i had to just breakdown...if you blink life moves on without you
I loved this place,I can remember the long lines of people standing out side for the doors to open, great times there, I miss those simple days of fun...
World Class Championship Wrestling was the hottest thing going back in the 80's. It was truly a magical time to be a wrestling fan! I would have given anything to see a show at the World Famous Sportatorium! I did get to see Kerry wrestle in person for the WWF (it seems to me I saw his debut match at a TV taping in Green Bay), but I never got a chance to see any of the other boys. It sure would have been something.
Watch video made me cry I have lots of pictures with Wrestlers by ring and in walk before and after wrestling. I have not been to any other wrestling auditorium than the Great Dallas Sportatorium it will forever be missed. Laura
Kevin Von Erich was my childhood hero. If I had hero's, as an adult, he'd still be one of them. I loved all of the Von Erichs but Kevin was always my favorite. Long live the memory of the greatest wrestling family to ever grace the squared circle... & to all those around them who made them who they are... legends...
This is just my opinion, and everyone has the right to disagree with me, but I always thought Kevin was the most talented, best all-around athlete, of the Von Erich family. He had the look, he had the holds, he could fly off the ropes, he could get the crowd going.
when I was a kid in the 80's in SoCal, I always used to tune in to Channel 56, KDOC, to catch World Class..and loved watching the matches held at the Sportatorium. Now, i live in Dallas, but the Sportatorium is long gone. I think it was a sign way back in the day that one day i'd be living in Dallas...I loved hearing that opening theme song, and the wrestling back then was awesome.
I saw this place get torn down when I was in 10th grade with my dad. I grew up with my dad watching old school WCCW before I ever saw any WWE and WCW programming. I was very fortunate enough early on when I got into the business to meet a few of the WCCW alumni, noteably Jim Wehba AKA General Skandar Akbar in 2009. He was a great man and taught me alot, God rest his soul and the soul of WCCW in the Sportatorium.
I live about 2.5 hours north of Memphis. I got to see all the craziness of Memphis wrestling, but I really missed out on the territories in Texas. I was somewhat familiar with the Von Erich family, but that was about it. I didn't get to see a lot of WCCW.
Nice song.Sad,but nice.The video? That was just sad.Great wrestling here,& its to bad the Sportatorium is gone,cos it was a great place for wrestling even though it was old.This brought back the memories.Kevin Von Erich said it best.Its sad.But my hats off to ya for posting this,& I thank so much.Great memories & greater times at the Sportatorium.Thanks again for posting this.
I could hardly watch this without crying. I loved this place. watched so many fights there, I had forgotten all about it, until I saw a picture of it on Pinterest, a link on there, brought me to this video. so glad to see it. but so sad to see its demise.😢
I met Kevin once and I was working as a cook in Walburg tx in 1992. I didn't want to bother him but I had to I grew up watching All of them!!!! Freebirds iceman parsons and so on. I entrusted myself and he was very happy to met a fan that has been around that long !!!!!
There were a lot of good times in those old walls. World Class Championship Wrestling. I watched it every Saturday night as a kid, live from the Sportatorium in Dallas, Texas. Home of the Von Erichs. Great times…..
MLW major league wrestling has the Von Erichs 👌gin in the ring let like Fritz who appears now and then to cut promos and give his son's advice and Ross and Marshall Von Erich who are not exactly like the greatness of their dad and uncles. They are exciting and what you are talking about!
I get the impression that whoever owned the Sportatorium was NOT a wrestling fan, cos if he or she was, they would of saved this historic landmark. There was no place hotter in the 80s than right here on a Friday night. And the talent that came from here, WOW !!! Kamala, The Missing Link, The Von Erichs, Dark Journey, Missy Hyatt, Jimmy Garvin, Chris Adams, Bruiser Brody, General Akbar, Abdullah The Butcher, The Fabulous Freebirds, & the list just goes on & on. And now its all gone as so are ALLOT of the wrestlers from that era. Looking back, I was so blessed to be able to see all that great talent. There was nothing like it. It truly was, SPECIAL !!!
As Kevin walked around, I can at least see why. There's asbestos, fire damage, structural issues, etc. I imagine it would've cost 500k +, and likely over a million, to fully repair that building. That's a big bill to foot and you start looking at the dollars and cents part of it, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
I never made it to see a match. Always wanted to and we would drive by all the time. Its sad to see the place go, so many memories for me watching from home on Saturday nights. The greatest wrestlers came out of that place!
In my town where I live I live next to my old childhood neighborhood apts half of them are torn down but Everytime I pass through there I always go back in time and remember the great memories growing up with my friends there in the 80si can't imagine what goes through Kerry's head being there remembering all the good times him and his brothers had there
Growing up in PH, Nigeria in the 1980s, WCCW with the von Erichs, the Freebirds, Iceman King Parsons, Bruiser Brody and co was a staple of our Saturday afternoons. I just stumbled on this video and this has got to be the saddest thing I have watched in a long while. How could this structure have been demolished? Brings back memories and I feel like crying.
I remember going there when I was a young kid. The Von Erichs were like the biggest stars on the planet back then. Kinda surreal to know the biggest name to walk through there and come out being the biggest name in wrestling was Steve Austin. It'll always be the house the Von Erichs built no question, but sad none of them really took off from there.
its a real slap in the face to wrestling !! WWE needs a hall to represent its hall of fame and this would have been the most iconic place! they could have set a ring up and let legends wrestle once or twice a month !
Es dificil ver como una gran parte de tus recuerdos se van tu vida,tu familia y ver como Kevin recorre x última vez me pone triste ese lugar donde hubo de todo y saber q no habra nada solo eso recuerdos toda una vida sepultada y recuerdos también
World class wrestling was the best above all the rest will never forget those days laying on the floor and my dad on his chair cheering for the von ericks best of times with my dad
I was 14 the first time I was there. It was truly magic. Chris Adams wanted me to go to Austin with him. I was 14. Later I met Mike at six flags and hung out with him and his friends for awhile. I wish we could go back. Such simple times compared to today.
Got to visit the Sportatorium many times in my young life, once with my Aunts for an Elvis Concert there back in the early 60's. It was great memories. And my Granddad has a Transmission Shop right around the corner.
Must have been emotional for him to come back there after all those years. I would have been emotional if i was there every Friday night in the eighties. Shame they just couldn't save it as a museum or landmark
HorrorFreak68 I’m from Fayetteville North Carolina and I knew that number too!! One of my wrestling bucket lists was to watch a show in the Sportatorium
Man this is so sad to watch. As a child I was here every Saturday morning. We would go watch the Matches because Saturday mornings were free and the were being filmed. Then the would show them Saturday night on channel 11. My grandma was a big fan of the von Eric’s I grew up to this place as being my gateway as a child . Thank you for sharing this. It brought back so many fond memories.
Can't believe world class championships wrestling is gone but the von erichs were main characters in the business despite the family is undeniable von erichs are anchored in this wrestling field
My uncles and gramapa may he R.I.P went to the Sportatorium so many times i never went but enjoyed watching it on tv as a kid Von Erichs made me love wrestling they were like super heroes to me back in the day
Saturday nights were awesome watching this. The ambience really came through the TV set. I remember when the main event would start, that’s when the program ended. Made you want to be there in person.
When I was 14, my school bus used to pass by it every day. By then it was in pretty bad shape. We hoped it would get fixed up eventually just so we could see ANYTHING there, really. Then one day it was gone. One of my biggest regrets in life was that I didn't pester my parents to bring me there when I was younger.
Such a heart touching clip!! Back in the day, I was a huge fan of the Von Erich's!! I loved Kerry! I wonder what happened to Kevin's things he talked about?
Lee Morgan im sure we knew each other as kids. I was there every Friday night with my grandparents. My grandfather James Walden rang the bell for each match every friday night. I always sat in the box seats next to where the good guys came out.
What a great video, Kevin was always my favorite Von Erich. He really seems like a very centered person, my heart goes out to his family and to him with the all tragedy they had to endure. 🥺
Wrestling will never be what it was then. The way some of the old stars have died is very tragic and sad. Glad Kevin was strong enough to survive out of the ring .
What a travesty to wrestling fans like myself who remember those days. I never went to the Sportatorium. I watched World Class on ESPN but I loved it. My favorite regional promotion other be than Pensacola/Alabama/Knoxville otherwise known as Continental, Memphis, Mid Atlantic, Georgia, Florida-FCW, Mid South, AWA, and who can forget New York/ Standford I am a fanatic for the Sport of Kings and I loved them all(just now getting the knowledge I Kansas City and the Pacific Northwest, and California)(more specifically the last 10 years) I as a pw enthusiast consider the Sportatorium a shrine, just like the Mid South Coliseum, MSG, and the newest Shrine the ECW Arena. All treasured landmarks that helped shaped alot of fans like myself lives. God bless the legends of World Class some would scoff at that. I don't give a damn they were very human and thank God for the Time we had with them. That may not be perfect but they were ours God bless world-class God bless Texas
Must have been pretty emotional for Kevin walking around there before it was pulled down. A lot of ghosts & memories,the von erich's story is just so gut wrenchingly sad!:"-(
I'll never understand why they didn't turn it into a museum. These guys were legendary, freaking rock stars..... I grew up with these guys.....
Crazy Dave, I sympathize, but no matter how much, the building structure integrity had deteriorated way past the safety zone level, to the point where the building would have to be rebuilt, if they had gone THAT route your suggestion would've probably become a reality, but I don't know if a parking lot or office building replaced it.
Cause of money
@@richardgarcia788
I don’t think there is anything on the land today. As far as I am aware anyway.
Your so right about this
It had asbestos
I use to protect these guys in the 80's as a security guard!! It was fun I'm now 57!! I was 23 then!!! WOW!!!
I'm sure you probably got to meet a lot of the wrestlers coming in there. The Von Erichs were raised in East Texas. I'm from the Shreveport-Bossier City area, which is not very far at all from where the Von Erichs lived. The Von Erich boys as well as Fritz to me were just "Good Old Boys". That's the way they struck me.
I cant imagine all the great memories you must have.
Used to watch wccw on TV back in the 80's the Von Erich's and Freebirds those were the days. I was in my early teens now I am in my 40"s but who can forget.
Should watch the Von Erichs episode on the wrestling Vice series.. Sooo good
Stonecoldcwbys tell us more were they cool
I am 89 years old. In the fall of 1953 I performed at the Big-D Jamboree. I did Hank Snow's Rhumba Boogie and got a standing ovation. The place was packed. But I had just joined the U.S. Air Force and had to move to Tucson, which ended any further hopes of performing there again.
Bless you 🙏 my friend, that is an awesome memory that you have of this place, I was never there but watched 👀 on TV 📺 every week... hope you are still with us...
Wow...that's a cool story. I'd like to know what that was like.
Yo u still breathing ol timer ?
He played the original Sportatorium! In 1956 a rival promoter from Houston had the Sportatorium torched and half of it burnt down. It was rebuilt,squaring off the outside and putting a wall down the part that burnt. That's why there's 2 levels on one side and one level of bleachers and a flat tin wall on the other side by the back door where The American Flag used to hang. For those that are interested, there's ALOT of history and knowledge about this historic venue!
In its heyday WCCW was one of the hottest territories in all of wrestling. Von Erichs vs Freebirds is one of best fueds of all time.We watched every week.The good old days.
I grew up watching these brothers. I can't imagine Kevin growing old, missing his entire family. I take off my hat to him for the courage he's had to carry on with life. God bless him and all his family who have gone ahead 🙏. Viva Los Vonerich's!!! Greetings from El Paso Tx
Kevin had no idea that he’d be the sole survivor, narrating his family’s story.
@@Moon-jt4vyyea man...crazy story. Ross and Marshall could carry the legacy tho?
@ryandavis4448 I believe they are. Now a days, I still think Vince WWE is still very much alive and popular. That's probably where they should've been. They're doing great things, though.
@@-Lee-il4gs I'd like to see them work with FTR and build them up. I think they have a ton of potential.
@ryandavis4448 True. They have tons of potential and a lot of years left.
What I would of done I would re built the Dallas Sportatorium and make it into a Wrestling Museum. A Museum of World Class and I know for sure Fans would love that.
Oregon Wrestling Observer
Then why didn’t you do it?
Oregon Wrestling Observer That’s what I would have done.
@Gabriel Martinez I believe it!
vince macmahon is a crook , he destroyed wrestling and traded the fans off for the sponsorship. this would have been a perfect wwe hall for wwe hall of fame
Yea that's a great idea.... A museum to the Von Derelicts.
My cousins and I used to watch World Class Wrestling on channel 11 (KTVT) every Saturday night hosted by Mark Lawrence... Memories...
Me too. I was a teenager then. I'm 48 now. What memories. Every Saturday night it was like a religious thing. Then church on Sunday morning .
Was it "Dan Coats" that used to time the matches and say "fiiiive minutes" or "teeeennn minutes", in a real deep voice over the intercom?...and the crowd would cheer.
@@stevegamez2215 it was the commentator, Mark Lawrence.
No, I remembered shortly after. It was the older guy that wore the loud ass jackets that would say " fiiive minutes". It was Boyd Pierce.
@@stevegamez2215 if i remember right, Coats was announcer before WCCW. back when Ftitz was feuding with with Black Jack Mulligan, Johnny Valentine......
I can imagine all the memories that went through his head the minute he got to the property
For real. Just me watching this brought me back so many memories
Like returning to the house you grew up in.
Growing up in Chicago the AWA was our local promotion and we loved NWA on TBS. But our favorite was WCCW.Von Erichs,Freebirds,Brody,Kamala,Chris Adams,Gino Hernandez,Iceman Parsons,Jimmy Garvin with Sunshine and Precious. And Harley Race and Ric Flair would defend the world title regularly in WCCW.The great old days.
You can tell Kevin is amazing they went world wide from such a small venue
RIP Sportatorium, and RIP to the legends- David, Mike, Kerry, Chris, Fritz, Doris, Gino, Chris A, Bam Bam, Buddy Jack...❤️
ddk999 also rip....percy pringle..bruiser..gary hart..skandar akbar...andre the giant...rick rude..buddy roberts and rose...jyd...blue demon..superfly snuka...missing link...big cat...dingo warrior...matt borne...terry gordy...the spoiler...dr death...tommy rogers....wahoo mcdaniels...big john studd...bronko lubbich
@@bubbapacha7672 Every last one of those legends you both named created great memories at The Sportatorium. It should've been renovated and saved instead of left to be vandalized and burned. It meant so much to so many.
@@bubbapacha7672 Mad Dog Buzz Sawyer too.
@@bubbapacha7672 don't need to include every dead guy
@@chrischar9428 aww come on lol. I lived going to wccw when theyd come to temple tx. The gentleman even went to dinner with and hung out at my cousins house with all of us after one show. They were all great imho.
Kevin must be a strong person to go in there and relieve all the memories he had there with his brothers and father and all the wrestlers he fought and worked with that are no longer here with us if i was in his shoes it would have been real hard for me and would have broken down and cry God bless Kevin
The Sportatorium was a shrine to Pro-Wrestling👍👑❤️
I would imagine that Kevin's heart would ache as he walked down that aisle, just remembering. There's a few places in my life that, when I revisit, there is a longing. God bless us all.
Kevin seems like such a sweet spirit (although I know for a fact that in his heyday, he was a bona fide MANIAC in and out of the ring...not a bad guy, but just a fearless young hell raiser like any young and rich celebrity.) I'd love to have lunch with him and pick his brain about life. Kevin is a true warrior and a hell of a survivor. LOVE YOU, KEV DOG!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love hearing stories like this. All childhood memories like this. It's great Kevin Von Erich remembers all this by heart.
It was a crappy old building, poorly insulated, hot as hell in the summers, roof leaked like a sieve when it rained, place always smelled of old sweat, it's a wonder the building didn't collapse on its own years ago, and no other building in the world was so loved by the wrestling fans. When you wrestled at the Sportatorium you know you made it as a wrestler. God I miss that crappy old building.
FerretJohn its a shame more indy guys and professionals didnt join together and restore it as not only a museum wrestling hall of fame but also to bring back wrestling to the fans a few times a week
It looked good on TV though.. Good size for TV wrestling. Looks like you could get maybe 2000 fans in there screaming and hollering!
I did my traing here after jerret left it used briefly to train up coming wrestlers. I spent my childhhood years.watching von Erich s
@@markdp1983 it actually seated like 4,500
@diablo666541 whoa that's awesome! This must have been right after Kevin took it from Jerry. Can you give us some more testimony?
The loss of the sportatorium is the biggest loss in wrestling history the memories this building had ones that wrestled in it they will be missed condolences to their families
It should have been designated a historical building like they did the Hart House in Calgary. So nobody can touch it & it would be protected in the future years too.
The owner culda sent the museum way I gtd it. To whomever the land value was just more important than the history. Museum wulda been very successful. It’s to bad it wasn’t to be.
@@ronniesapp4469 Is english your primary language? Just curious.
Man that was some memories right there... Must have taken alot for Kevin to re visit his old stomping grounds! That time period was awesome!
So many memories of being a kid watching on ESPN. Vince McMahon was just starting to build the WWF and the CWA, AWA, WCW were what most of America was watching on tape. Wow, what a cool video
Same here, I used to watch World Class on ESPN every day after school. Occasionally they’d show the AWA. Eventually they showed GWF shows from the Sportatorium.
I never made it no secret that the Only reason I got into wrestling in the 1st place was due to the Freebirds.And in this arena there feud with the Von Erichs was born.I just love it when fans would boo the birds.They played there role as a heel to a T. It was great entertainment This place is, or now was a landmark.And to see it go down is just so sad.That place would rock when the Freebirds-Von Erichs would clash.I think we can all agree on that one.Loved those days.Thanks for posting this.
I was 4 years old when my older sisters introduced me to southwest championship wrestling in San Antonio. I was hooked. And then a few months later in 1980 they started watching wccw. Never looked back. Von erichs were my heroes. Kerry in particular. Hated the free birds. But damn did I love and appreciate them by the time I was a teenager and even more now.
It's 2020 and I still watch this to bring back those precious memories 😇😪
SPORTATORIUM!!!! The greatest place that had the greatest wrestling worth watching. The stuff they have on now give me a break.
I have fond memories of going to the Dallas Sportatorium. I just now found this video. It brings back a lot of good memories of an era gone by. The Von Erichs and Freebirds was one of the biggest rivalries out there. Seeing live matches in person was the best experience. Such greats as Gentlemen Chris Adam's. Bruiser Brody, Gino Hernandez. And the list goes on and on. Listening to Marc Lawrence call the matches was the best. Referee David Manning was great at what he did. I would watch it on television every chance I got. Brings back a lot of fond memories. Memories that I will hang onto for a lifetime.
It seemed like it was immortal and would last forever when I was a kid. You reach a point in your life when you start growing up and those things kind of fall by the wayside and don't seem so important anymore. It's just all distant memory, but when you get a little older you start to reflect and realize just how special it was. I've thought a lot about World Class the last ten years or so and how much I miss it all. Just a magical time in a really special place. Nothing in wrestling has ever quite compared to it. There was just something about World Class and this place that was irreplaceably unique and special. Just give me one more day to sit there with my dad and brother and hear that high pitched squeal from the crowd (even though it hurt my ears as a kid).
This smelly tin shed was one of the magical places of my childhood. The first time I heard this song on the directors cut and saw those images, I choked up quite a bit.
You know the name of the song? Been looking for it
@@sergiogrimaldo3480 I've never been able to find the name of the song either. It doesn't list it in the credits, only possible artists who might have made it. The DVD chapter is wrong too. The DVD chapter is called "it's summertime" but that is the name of the song that was on the original release and not the directors cut. Someone told me it's called "Close your eyes", but I cannot confirm that.
This was a big part of my childhood. Brings back alot of memories. Itcwas hard watching this video. I was in those box seats with my French fries and coke. God bless the Von Erichs
You probably had a little extra "spice" on those French fries.
Gud Dergo lol. looking back you're right but im healthy all praises to the Most High.
Funny you said that . I was remembering when I saw Kevin walk towards the dressing room how he passed right by where the man that sold fries was. he was there for years.
Did yall hear that story about percy pringle aka pallbearer? He lived the fries..couldnt get fries that tasted like that anywhere but there. The health department came in and inspected but the fryer grease pit hadnt been drained in like six years. When they drained it they found rat bones and fur in the bottom.
Dad took us to The Sportatorium many times for these bouts. I was 11. We worshipped the Von Erichs in Texas.
I grew up fighting to stay up until midnight to watch world class wrestling Saturday nights on WPMT Channel 43 in York. It was always worth the wait!
Kevin Von Erich he's one of my favorite people even though I never met him personally I watched him wrestle along with his family being his brothers and father there will always be a soft spot in my heart for the Von Erichs God bless each and everyone of you especially you Kevin
i remember i moved to albq nm in 96 and i came back home to dallas in 07 and i remember riding with my sister to the jail house at lew stuart and turning on industrial and cadiz realizing that the sportatorium was gone i cried my eyes out...that to me was more than wrestling and the von erichs....it was my childhood gone ..so many memories rushed back and it saddened me so much i had to just breakdown...if you blink life moves on without you
I loved this place,I can remember the long lines of people standing out side for the doors to open, great times there, I miss those simple days of fun...
World Class Championship Wrestling was the hottest thing going back in the 80's. It was truly a magical time to be a wrestling fan! I would have given anything to see a show at the World Famous Sportatorium! I did get to see Kerry wrestle in person for the WWF (it seems to me I saw his debut match at a TV taping in Green Bay), but I never got a chance to see any of the other boys. It sure would have been something.
Watch video made me cry I have lots of pictures with
Wrestlers by ring and in walk before and after wrestling. I have not been to any other wrestling auditorium than the Great Dallas Sportatorium it will forever be missed. Laura
JoeandLaura Jennings fans should have petitioned the wwe to turn it into its hall for the hall of fame
Kevin Von Erich was my childhood hero. If I had hero's, as an adult, he'd still be one of them. I loved all of the Von Erichs but Kevin was always my favorite. Long live the memory of the greatest wrestling family to ever grace the squared circle... & to all those around them who made them who they are... legends...
This is just my opinion, and everyone has the right to disagree with me, but I always thought Kevin was the most talented, best all-around athlete, of the Von Erich family. He had the look, he had the holds, he could fly off the ropes, he could get the crowd going.
The Dallas Sportatorium should be rebuilt as a wrestling museum for wrestling fans everywhere
And don’t forget to stock it with rats - the four-legged kind. Cause if you do, plenty of the two-legged kind will show up!
when I was a kid in the 80's in SoCal, I always used to tune in to Channel 56, KDOC, to catch World Class..and loved watching the matches held at the Sportatorium. Now, i live in Dallas, but the Sportatorium is long gone.
I think it was a sign way back in the day that one day i'd be living in Dallas...I loved hearing that opening theme song, and the wrestling back then was awesome.
jdspreest Same here. WCCW was awesome!
I saw this place get torn down when I was in 10th grade with my dad.
I grew up with my dad watching old school WCCW before I ever saw any WWE and WCW programming. I was very fortunate enough early on when I got into the business to meet a few of the WCCW alumni, noteably Jim Wehba AKA General Skandar Akbar in 2009. He was a great man and taught me alot, God rest his soul and the soul of WCCW in the Sportatorium.
I would give anything to see those days again..
I live about 2.5 hours north of Memphis. I got to see all the craziness of Memphis wrestling, but I really missed out on the territories in Texas. I was somewhat familiar with the Von Erich family, but that was about it. I didn't get to see a lot of WCCW.
Middle to end makes me want to cry. So much of my childhood is wrestling and nothing is the same. The memories man.....
I miss you pa
I can't imagine how sad it was for him to walk through one last time. It made me sad and I've never been there.
Nice song.Sad,but nice.The video? That was just sad.Great wrestling here,& its to bad the Sportatorium is gone,cos it was a great place for wrestling even though it was old.This brought back the memories.Kevin Von Erich said it best.Its sad.But my hats off to ya for posting this,& I thank so much.Great memories & greater times at the Sportatorium.Thanks again for posting this.
I went to several matches there as a child. Great times that are still fresh in my mind to this day. Thank you for the memories.
I could hardly watch this without crying. I loved this place. watched so many fights there, I had forgotten all about it, until I saw a picture of it on Pinterest, a link on there, brought me to this video. so glad to see it. but so sad to see its demise.😢
Thanks for the memories World Class, May the moments live on in professional wrestling.
#Thanks
I watched it every Saturday night. Miss it.
These dudes were literally rock stars . Remember watching back in the days on tv and would get CRAZY loud in that building.
Wow!!! I remember when my pops use to take me there......man memories
thank you to every legend that came in and out of that building
I met Kevin once and I was working as a cook in Walburg tx in 1992. I didn't want to bother him but I had to I grew up watching All of them!!!! Freebirds iceman parsons and so on. I entrusted myself and he was very happy to met a fan that has been around that long !!!!!
You can tell Kevin was honestly heart broken. It’s sad
i would of loved to be about 19 in 1981 going to the matches there on a friday night wearing a bob seger shirt drinking a beer lol
To my hero's the Von Erich's wish the road was different that y'all went down. But Kevin I'm stoked your still here. Love ya.
There were a lot of good times in those old walls. World Class Championship Wrestling. I watched it every Saturday night as a kid, live from the Sportatorium in Dallas, Texas. Home of the Von Erichs. Great times…..
We need MORE VON ERICH's in the ring to bring back REAL wrestling...
Ross n Marshal Von Erich.
MLW major league wrestling has the Von Erichs 👌gin in the ring let like Fritz who appears now and then to cut promos and give his son's advice and Ross and Marshall Von Erich who are not exactly like the greatness of their dad and uncles. They are exciting and what you are talking about!
I expect to see Ross & Marshall Von Erich in a Major promotion very soon. Those two are carrying g on the Von Erich Legacy
The iron claw and the oriental spike were some good finishing moves
My step dad took me here when I was about 5, I am 21 now. But it is really cool that I got to be there.
I wish I went there as a kid. Used to watch them every Saturday on TV. Loved them.
I get the impression that whoever owned the Sportatorium was NOT a wrestling fan, cos if he or she was, they would of saved this historic landmark. There was no place hotter in the 80s than right here on a Friday night. And the talent that came from here, WOW !!! Kamala, The Missing Link, The Von Erichs, Dark Journey, Missy Hyatt, Jimmy Garvin, Chris Adams, Bruiser Brody, General Akbar, Abdullah The Butcher, The Fabulous Freebirds, & the list just goes on & on. And now its all gone as so are ALLOT of the wrestlers from that era. Looking back, I was so blessed to be able to see all that great talent. There was nothing like it. It truly was, SPECIAL !!!
defiantone *A LOT
Go nitpick with someone else Jackass.
As Kevin walked around, I can at least see why. There's asbestos, fire damage, structural issues, etc. I imagine it would've cost 500k +, and likely over a million, to fully repair that building. That's a big bill to foot and you start looking at the dollars and cents part of it, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
Thanks for all the awesome memories I grew up in NC with the NWA but I watched the WCCW every Saturday morning it brings back some really good times
I never made it to see a match. Always wanted to and we would drive by all the time. Its sad to see the place go, so many memories for me watching from home on Saturday nights. The greatest wrestlers came out of that place!
I attended Chris Adams wrestling school here in 1991. Lotta memories.😥
Wow that's awesome. Was stone cold here at the same time? Can you give us some of your testimony?
Wow ! Sad that an iconic sports arena can be left in the past and then torn down.
In my town where I live I live next to my old childhood neighborhood apts half of them are torn down but Everytime I pass through there I always go back in time and remember the great memories growing up with my friends there in the 80si can't imagine what goes through Kerry's head being there remembering all the good times him and his brothers had there
Kevin*
I was there back in 1982 with my dad. Saw the Von Erics...couldn't remember much cause I was 11 yrs old. sad to know they tore it down.
This is fantastic it’s going to be a very Sad day when we lose Kevin Von Erich.
Man the memories of this place I love the video... thanks for posting
Growing up in PH, Nigeria in the 1980s, WCCW with the von Erichs, the Freebirds, Iceman King Parsons, Bruiser Brody and co was a staple of our Saturday afternoons. I just stumbled on this video and this has got to be the saddest thing I have watched in a long while. How could this structure have been demolished? Brings back memories and I feel like crying.
I remember going there when I was a young kid. The Von Erichs were like the biggest stars on the planet back then. Kinda surreal to know the biggest name to walk through there and come out being the biggest name in wrestling was Steve Austin. It'll always be the house the Von Erichs built no question, but sad none of them really took off from there.
its a real slap in the face to wrestling !! WWE needs a hall to represent its hall of fame and this would have been the most iconic place! they could have set a ring up and let legends wrestle once or twice a month !
My mom took me to see Johnny Cash there in summer of 1960, when I was just nine.
Es dificil ver como una gran parte de tus recuerdos se van tu vida,tu familia y ver como Kevin recorre x última vez me pone triste ese lugar donde hubo de todo y saber q no habra nada solo eso recuerdos toda una vida sepultada y recuerdos también
This is part of wrestling history they not supposed to be destroyed it R.I.P all good memories
World class wrestling was the best above all the rest will never forget those days laying on the floor and my dad on his chair cheering for the von ericks best of times with my dad
I was 14 the first time I was there. It was truly magic. Chris Adams wanted me to go to Austin with him. I was 14. Later I met Mike at six flags and hung out with him and his friends for awhile. I wish we could go back. Such simple times compared to today.
That place was bigger then I had thought...I remember it on the old GWF program. I wish they would have rebuilt it somehow and keep the legacy going
The building is gone, but the memories are forever with us, and Kevin Von Erich is too.
I never got to see wccw there but I did get to go to a gwf and a wcw show before the end. Just glad I got to go at all. What a legend it was and is .
Got to visit the Sportatorium many times in my young life, once with my Aunts for an Elvis Concert there back in the early 60's. It was great memories. And my Granddad has a Transmission Shop right around the corner.
Must have been emotional for him to come back there after all those years. I would have been emotional if i was there every Friday night in the eighties. Shame they just couldn't save it as a museum or landmark
Lone Wolf wwe should have put its hall of fame there it would have been the ideal hall.
It would have been nice to preserve the Sportatorium. The fire was what did it in.
@@danberger3593 It was also located in a lower class part of town so doubtful much money would have been spent on it even if the idea had backing.
565-9261. That was the Sportatorium phone number I used to call ever week to hear the recording announcing the next card.
HorrorFreak68 I’m from Fayetteville North Carolina and I knew that number too!! One of my wrestling bucket lists was to watch a show in the Sportatorium
Haha that's so awesome.. Kevin is the man, so glad his life turned out good.. Would have been so easy for him to fall off too
Area code?
Dave Sampson Google it.
@@davesampson158 214
WCCW WAS THE BEST WRESTLING. The von erich's family's was my favorite wrestling family's.
Memphis wrestling was good too.
@@dereka3341 We are talking about wccw right now.
I always come back to this video and go down memory lane
Man this is so sad to watch. As a child I was here every Saturday morning. We would go watch the Matches because Saturday mornings were free and the were being filmed. Then the would show them Saturday night on channel 11. My grandma was a big fan of the von Eric’s I grew up to this place as being my gateway as a child . Thank you for sharing this. It brought back so many fond memories.
If only those walls could talk!!!
Shame it was demolished.
Cant get enough of this song love it just dont know who is singing it
Can't believe world class championships wrestling is gone but the von erichs were main characters in the business despite the family is undeniable von erichs are anchored in this wrestling field
My uncles and gramapa may he R.I.P went to the Sportatorium so many times i never went but enjoyed watching it on tv as a kid Von Erichs made me love wrestling they were like super heroes to me back in the day
Saturday nights were awesome watching this. The ambience really came through the TV set. I remember when the main event would start, that’s when the program ended. Made you want to be there in person.
When I was 14, my school bus used to pass by it every day. By then it was in pretty bad shape. We hoped it would get fixed up eventually just so we could see ANYTHING there, really. Then one day it was gone. One of my biggest regrets in life was that I didn't pester my parents to bring me there when I was younger.
Such a heart touching clip!! Back in the day, I was a huge fan of the Von Erich's!! I loved Kerry! I wonder what happened to Kevin's things he talked about?
Lee Morgan im sure we knew each other as kids. I was there every Friday night with my grandparents. My grandfather James Walden rang the bell for each match every friday night. I always sat in the box seats next to where the good guys came out.
Where are you now. I'm the same guy with a different account
My father took me there around 1975 and I was so excited. I remeber chief wahoo mcdaniel and of course the von erichs and professor melenko.!!
It should have been made a landmark.
What a great video, Kevin was always my favorite Von Erich. He really seems like a very centered person, my heart goes out to his family and to him with the all tragedy they had to endure. 🥺
Wrestling will never be what it was then. The way some of the old stars have died is very tragic and sad. Glad Kevin was strong enough to survive out of the ring .
What a travesty to wrestling fans like myself who remember those days. I never went to the Sportatorium. I watched World Class on ESPN but I loved it. My favorite regional promotion other be than Pensacola/Alabama/Knoxville otherwise known as Continental, Memphis, Mid Atlantic, Georgia, Florida-FCW, Mid South, AWA, and who can forget New York/ Standford I am a fanatic for the Sport of Kings and I loved them all(just now getting the knowledge I Kansas City and the Pacific Northwest, and California)(more specifically the last 10 years) I as a pw enthusiast
consider the Sportatorium a shrine, just like the Mid South Coliseum, MSG, and the newest Shrine the ECW Arena. All treasured landmarks that helped shaped alot of fans like myself lives. God bless the legends of World Class some would scoff at that. I don't give a damn they were very human and thank God for the Time we had with them. That may not be perfect but they were ours God bless world-class God bless Texas
Don't forget the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles.
Must have been pretty emotional for Kevin walking around there before it was pulled down. A lot of ghosts & memories,the von erich's story is just so gut wrenchingly sad!:"-(
Spent many a Saturday night having a grand time watching the matches there.
Watching this in 2022 and heavy vibes. The building is gone but we still have Kevin and his legacy
i am very fortunate to have been able to go to the matches at least 1 time when i was a kid. rest in peace sportatorium.
This is so sad the good old days is long gone