Bruce Woyan
Acting
Biography
Bruce Alan Woyan was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Buzz Sawyer. Sawyer started wrestling in 1978 (other sources state 1979) in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) affiliate Jim Crockett Promotions. He stayed there with some stints in Georgia Championship Wrestling until 1984. He mainly teamed with his brother, Brett Sawyer. Buzz had a feud with The Road Warriors after he left their manager Paul Ellering's Legion of Doom. Pez Whatley was the first wrestler to pin Sawyer on live television. He also had an epic feud with Tommy Rich that led to many bloody matches, the greatest of which occurred on was billed as the "Last Battle of Atlanta" and for the first time featured a completely enclosed cage; Rich won the match. It also featured manager Paul Ellering suspended 20 feet above the ring in a smaller cage. This is the match that Shawn Michaels credits for inspiring the Hell in the Cell concept used by WWE. The stipulation for this match was that Sawyer and Rich would never wrestle one another again. Tommy Rich lost a match to Ted DiBiase in which the stipulation was a loser leaves town match. Rich appeared the next week on TV under a mask and calling himself the mysterious Mr. R. WWE released the entire match on the WWE Network on September 5, 2016. Sawyer had a short WWE run in 1984 as "Bulldog" Buzz Sawyer (since the moniker Mad Dog was being used by Maurice Vachon) with Captain Lou Albano as his manager. Sawyer's gimmicks included a dog chain, a lot of barking, and a new bulldog finisher. After his WWF stint, he surfaced in the NWA territory Championship Wrestling from Florida, under the mind control of Kevin Sullivan. He feuded with Mike Graham, Dusty Rhodes, and Adrian Street. In 1985, Buzz went to Mid-South Wrestling (which became the Universal Wrestling Federation in 1986) and became a protégé of Dick Slater's. After Slater won the North American title, he gave the Mid-South TV title to Sawyer to defend for him. The promotion tricked Slater into letting Sawyer defend the North American title (which he promptly lost), and Sawyer then refused to give the TV belt back to Slater. In 1986, Sawyer left the UWF for World Class Championship Wrestling. He formed a team with Matt Borne and they won the WCWA Tag Team Championship. He also won the WCWA Television Championship and the WCWA Texas Heavyweight Championship and feuded with Brian Adias while there. He got into a feud with Dingo Warrior and he lost his tag team titles, with Master Gee substituting for him, to Warrior and Lance Von Erich before reportedly being fired after failing a drug test.[6] He returned to WCW in 1989 as part of Gary Hart's J-Tex Corporation that was feuding with the Four Horsemen, and he had several matches against Arn Anderson.[6] He then joined Kevin Sullivan's "Slaughterhouse" stable in 1990. At the Wrestle War event in 1990, he was victorious in a tag team match where he and Sullivan defeated The Dynamic Dudes (Shane Douglas and Johnny Ace), but also fractured his wrist. He left WCW in 1991. Sawyer died at his Sacramento, California apartment from heart failure due to a drug overdose on February 7, 1992.
Known For
From the Sportatorium comes the groundbreaking sports-entertainment brand World Class Championship Wrestling, featuring legendary competitors such as The Von Erichs, Bruiser Brody, The Fabulous Freebirds and more.
World Class Championship Wrestling
Mid-South Wrestling was one of the most successful wrestling territories in the 1981s; featuring future WWE Hall of Famers.
Mid-South Wrestling
At a time when matches between big-name Superstars are usually only seen on pay-per-view, WCW presents Clash of the Champions on free TV.
Clash of the Champions
Relive the glory days of the National Wrestling Alliance through Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling's weekly television show.
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
WCW Arena Shows takes you into the heart of classic professional wrestling, featuring intense matches, fierce rivalries, and unforgettable moments that defined a golden era of the sport.
WCW Arena Shows
Mid-South Wrestling was one of the most successful wrestling territories.
Mid-South Arena Shows
WCW Clash of The Champions X: Texas Shootout took place on February 6, 1990 at the Memorial Coliseum in Corpus Christi, Texas. There were 3,000 fans in attendance and the show drew a 4.5 rating on TBS. This was the show that set up the WCW WrestleWar '90: Wild Thing pay-per-view event.
NWA Clash of The Champions X: Texas Shootout
A collection of the greatest matches from one of WWE's all time greatest superstars, with commentary from Bret along the way.
Bret Hart: The Dungeon Collection
For the first time ever, WWE presents the Legends of Mid-South Wrestling. One of the 1980’s hottest territories, Mid-South garnered national attention for its revolutionary storytelling and bruising, athletic matches orchestrated by no-nonsense promoter, “COWBOY” BILL WATTS. Now, the legends and Hall of Famers who cut their teeth in Mid-South share their tales of the fabled proving ground as we deliver OVER 20 classic confrontations from legends Ted DiBiase, Andre The Giant, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, Sting, Muhammad Ali, and many more…
Legends of Mid-South Wrestling
Ric Flair defends the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against Lex Luger. Arn & Ole Anderson compete for the NWA Tag Team Championship when they face The Steiner Brothers. The Road Warriors battle The Skyscrapers. The Rock 'n' Roll Express clash with The Midnight Express. Plus, Cactus Jack, Kevin Sullivan, and much more.
WCW WrestleWar 1990
The Great American Bash: Freedom Challenge took place on July 6, 1985 at the American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The main event was a steel cage match for the NWA World Television Championship with Tully Blanchard defending the title against Dusty Rhodes. Nikita Koloff challenged for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against Ric Flair with David Crockett as the special guest referee. Magnum T.A. defended the NWA United States Championship against Kamala, while the NWA World Tag Team Champions Krusher Khrushchev and Ivan Koloff fought the AWA World Tag Team Champions, The Road Warriors. 4 other matches took place on the undercard.
NWA The Great American Bash 1985
Once again fans can re-live the legendary glory age of wrestling and once and for all know that the bone breaking, blood-pounding action is real. Several of the matches on this DVD, when they originally aired on T.V. had to run with a disclaimer because the content was over the top vicious & bloody. The infamous match between Ric Flair & Ted DiBiase in a concussion bandage, the ambush beating Hacksaw Jim Duggan received by the hands of Ted DiBiase and his henchmen, the intentional blinding of J.Y.D. by the Midnight Express and the brutal beating Ric Flair endured by the Freebirds during an NWA Championship cage match. All this and more, plus 4 man & 6 man tag team matches, midget matches, a Hacksaw Jim Duggan montage video and Classic interviews including one with Andre the GIANT done by none other then Vince McMahon himself. Enjoy!
Giants, Midgets, Heroes and Villains II
Mid-South Wrestling is proud to present, it's 1st volume of a 4 DVD collection entitled "Giants Midgets Heroes & Villains". It captures some of the greatest moments and biggest names in professional wrestling history from 1980-1985. Until now, this footage has never before been seen on video or DVD. The only way someone could have seen this footage was if they attended a live event or caught a broadcast years ago, but now thanks to Mid-South Wrestling, fans can go back and re-live the excitement, the splendor, the raw action and the true essence of what was known by fans as the glory days. Giants Midgets Heroes & Villains is a true gift to all wrestling fans and is the long awaited arrival of some of the greatest wrestling history.
Mid-South Wrestling Giants, Midgets, Heroes & Villains vol. 1
The first Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament was held on April 19, 1986. The tournament featured 24 tag teams.
The First Annual NWA Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament
GCW December 4, 1983 from The Omni in Atlanta, Georgia
GCW at The Omni (December '83)
Within the grizzly confines of a completely enclosed steel cage, and Paul Ellering hanging above the ring, the blood feud between "Mad Dog" Buzz Sawyer and "Wildfire" Tommy Rich comes to an end. and if Rich can manage to win, then Ole Anderson gets "Precious" Paul to himself for 5 minutes inside the cage!
NWA The Last Battle of Atlanta
It's Roode vs. Adams with all the gold on the line in The Lone Star State
WCCW Labor Day Star Wars '86
The Eyes of Texas fall upon The Cotton Bowl in Dallas for the hottest action around!
WCCW Cotton Bowl Extravaganza '86
Bill Watts' Mid-South Wrestling from the Municipal Auditorium, New Orleans, Louisiana.