| First Family | |
|---|---|
| Stable | |
| Members | Jimmy Hart (manager) CWA -See Below WCW -See Below |
TheFirst Family was the name of threeprofessional wrestling stables led byJimmy Hart, first in the late-1970s and early-1980s in theMemphis, Tennessee-basedContinental Wrestling Association, then in the late-1980s in theWorld Wrestling Federation, and finally in the late-1990s inWorld Championship Wrestling.[1]
The original First Family was founded in the late 1970s by Hart to take theCWA title from his former protégé,Jerry Lawler. The group extensivelyfeuded with Lawler into the 1980s, a time particularly remembered forcomedianAndy Kaufman's rivalry with Lawler.
In 1985, When Hart got hired by WWF, he began becoming a manager of wrestlers includingGreg Valentine andKing Kong Bundy. He briefly co-managed The Dream Team (Beefcake and Valentine) until he was phased out and gave full control toJohnny Valiant. In September 1985, Hart traded Bundy tomanagerBobby Heenan in exchange forAdrian Adonis andThe Missing Link.
Many years later, after the demise of theDungeon of Doom inWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1997, Hart resurrected the First Family concept the following year, bringing together several mid-card performers. This short-lived group featured entirely different wrestlers than the Memphis version of the 1970s and included former Dungeon members.
They frequently appeared on WCW programs includingWCW Monday Nitro and primarily feuded withFit Finlay.[2]Hugh Morrus andBrian Knobbs oftentagged together, defeating members ofRevolution at 1999'sFall Brawl and making a losing effort in a three-wayWCW World Tag Team Championship contest atHalloween Havoc.
With an instrumental version of "The Zoo" as theirentrance theme, the stable featured a variety of colorful wrestling personalities with unique ring styles:Jerry Flynn demonstratedmartial arts strikes and submissions while Brian Knobbs utilized a rougher brawling style. Considering publicity photos were taken of the group, WCW's First Family was likely intended for a substantial run; however, according to Hart, the group quickly disbanded due to injuries sustained by numerous members as well as new bookers hired by WCW. In the aftermath of The First Family, Knobbs and Hart pursued WCW'shardcore scene that was on the rise in late-1999.
Continental Wrestling Association
