March 1986, Adams toured Japan and competed in several events for New Japan Pro Wrestling. These matches never aired on World Class television as he was still selling his blinding angle. In April, Adams returned to Texas All-Star Wrestling and WCCW, had several matches with Matt Borne, Blackjack Mulligan, Kabuki and Buzz Sawyer, and worked an angle with Rick Rude, during which he won the World Class heavyweight title on 4 July. Adams held the WCCW title until leaving the promotion in September due to legal troubles, thus forfeiting the title; WCCW explained that Black Bart won the title in a match in Los Angeles that never actually took place. Bart would eventually lose the title to Kevin Von Erich a month later at the Cotton Bowl. Adams left World Class in mid-September 1986 to join Bill Watts' Universal Wrestling Federation, which later absorbed into the NWA. Adams returned to World Class in October 1987. Various promotions (1987–1997) In late 1986, Adams defected to the Universal Wrestling Federation, where he became a tag team champion with Terry Taylor in February 1987. Two months later, Taylor and Adams began a violent feud which eventually was carried over to WCCW in 1988. Adams and former partner King Parsons also engaged in a similar feud, which would continue on and off for the next decade. Adams also wrestled in Missouri, competing in Mike George's World Wrestling Alliance promotion (formerly Central States Wrestling) and had brief stints in Georgia in Southern Championship Wrestling (where he won that federation's heavyweight title in 1988) and Florida before going into promoting his own matches late in the year under the brand L&A Promotions, with Tom Lance as his business partner. Adams also was on his way to defeating Ric Flair for the N.W.A. title but during pinfall attempts Kevin Von Erich and One Man Gang got Adams disqualified. In late 1988, Adams began operating his professional wrestling school at the Dallas Sportatorium, upon returning to World Class. In 1989, Steve Austin was one of Adams' students, and within five months, he wrestled his first pro match at the Sportatorium. The duo feuded against each other throughout the United States Wrestling Association. Adams was arrested in February in Lufkin, Texas, however, after his wife, Toni, was found severely beaten, allegedly by Adams during a drunken rage. He was sentenced to a year's probation. In late 1990, following the