Private company

United States Wrestling Association

The United States Wrestling Association (USWA) was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee.1

Last updated Oct 18, 2026.

Overview

1989Founded1

The United States Wrestling Association (USWA) was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. The company was founded when the Memphis-based Continental Wrestling Association merged with the Dallas-based World Class Championship Wrestling.2

How it started

Foundation

The USWA was founded as an attempt to create a fourth national promotion, alongside Jim Crockett Promotions/WCW, AWA and the WWF (now known as WWE). The USWA was created through a merger of the WCCW (from Texas) and the CWA (based in Memphis, Tennessee). It originally promoted shows, usually headlined by Jerry Lawler, in both Tennessee and Texas.

WCCW withdraws

The Dallas promotion (formerly WCCW), which was 40 percent owned by the Von Erich family, withdrew from the USWA in September 1990 due to a revenue dispute. According to Skandor Akbar, there were lawsuits involved, most notably when Jerry Jarrett was sued by Kevin Von Erich. That promotion reverted to the World Class name, but ceased operations two months later due to lack of revenue.

Jerry Jarrett and Jerry Lawler brought the USWA back to Texas, but only on a limited basis, while promoters Joe Pedicino, Max Andrews, and Boni Blackstone were getting the new Global Wrestling Federation ready for a spring 1991 debut at the Sportatorium. Several of the former World Class and USWA Dallas wrestlers joined the new GWF, while others from the old CWA remained with the USWA.

Talent exchange with the WWF

From Wikipedia’s article on United States Wrestling Association, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2

Leadership

Who has led United States Wrestling Association, and when. Pick a name to see everywhere that person has worked.

Timeline

  1. 1997Dissolved Dissolved1
  2. 1989Founded Founded in Memphis1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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