In 1982, he held his first retirement match against
King Kong Bundy in the newly renamed
World Class Championship Wrestling promotion, based in Dallas. The promotion was known for its high production values, use of entrance music and the use of
television syndication. The promotion was one of the most successful territories in the United States, with major draws like his sons, the
Fabulous Freebirds, Christopher Adams, Abdullah the Butcher, Bruiser Brody, Gino Hernandez and
Rick Rude. By the end of the eighties, the promotion's talent pool was thin and it was eventually merged with
Jerry Jarrett's Memphis promotion to create the
United States Wrestling Association.
Within a 10-year span, four of the remaining five Adkisson sons died premature deaths:
*David, 25 years of age, died in 1984 under circumstances that are still debated today. His cause of death was officially listed as acute gastroenteritis, but many believe, despite considerable evidence supporting the official cause, that he actually died of a drug overdose.
Ric Flair implies this in his autobiography
To Be The Man, stating that
Bruiser Brody destroyed evidence pointing to an overdose.
*Mike died of a self-inflicted drug overdose in 1987 at the age of 23. He had apparently never completely recovered from a near-fatal bout with
toxic shock syndrome, a condition very rarely seen in men, in 1985.
*Chris, depressed over his brothers deaths and his inability to excel as a wrestler, committed suicide in 1991 at the age of 21.
*Kerry, the most successful in the ring, also committed suicide in 1993 after well-documented substance abuse problems. He was 33 years old.
Kevin is the only survivor of the Adkisson sons.
