Erik Watts’ family connection to his Chickasaw heritage, oddly enough, traces to the Soviet Union’s invasion of Estonia June 17, 1940.
This eventually resulted in Erik’s mother, Ene, seeking a new home in the United States. Although not Chickasaw, Ene would go on to marry famed professional football player and wrestling icon Bill Watts, who is Chickasaw.
Bill played football in college for the University of Oklahoma Sooners and professional football for the Houston Oilers, Indianapolis Warriors and Minnesota Vikings before deciding to exclusively pursue a career in what wrestling fans refer to as “the squared circle.”
Known in professional wrestling as “Cowboy” Bill Watts, he is one of the sport’s most influential figures. As a wrestler, Bill feuded with one of the sport’s first stars, Bruno Sammartino, whose title reign is still recognized as the longest in professional wrestling history. As a wrestling promotion owner, Bill helped establish the style of storylines and matches that wrestling is known for today and was instrumental in recruiting and showcasing many of wrestling’s most recognizable stars. Names of wrestlers Bill helped showcase include “Junkyard Dog” Sylvester Ritter, Ted “The Million Dollar Man” DiBiase and “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, among many others. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009.
Erik recalls a family photograph of André the Giant holding him and his siblings off the ground.
Bill’s Mid-South Wrestling, headquartered in Bixby, Oklahoma, was one of the first promotions to headline an African American wrestler, Junkyard Dog, one of the company’s biggest stars who would also become champion during Bill’s tenure. Mid-South would eventually become Universal Wrestling Federation, which was purchased by Jim Crockett Promotions and, in turn, purchased by Ted Turner’s TBS to become World Championship Wrestling (WCW). WCW would famously compete with the World Wrestling Federation (now World Wrestling Entertainment or WWE) as the territory promotion days of wrestling came to an end.
Erik, following in his father’s footsteps, played football in college at the University of Louisville.
“I played football like my dad,” he said. Bill and Ene made a rule for Erik and his siblings that they couldn’t get into wrestling without first getting a college degree.
“In grad school I decided I wanted to give wrestling a try,” he said. “I spent some time working out with trainers. The day I was leaving to go back to Louisville, the WCW offered me a contract. I would have my first televised match the next Saturday if I signed. I actively wrestled from 1992 to 2005.”
In 1992, Erik was selected by the wrestling magazine Pro Wrestling Illustrated as the 1992 Rookie of the Year.
He wrestled for WCW, what is now the WWE and All Japan Pro Wrestling, among other promotions. Erik’s career saw him gain victories over stars like Diamond Dallas Page and Michael Hayes of The Fabulous Freebirds, among others. Other wrestlers he faced include “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Kevin Nash, Sting, the Steiner Brothers and Paul Levesque – also known as Triple H. Erik held a total of six championship titles with various wrestling organizations during his career. He trained Karl Malone, Dennis Rodman and Jay Leno for their celebrity wrestling matches.
Through Estonia
When he was young, Erik’s aunt Barbara Sue recalled the stories of Ene fleeing Estonia and her disconnection from her culture and homeland.
“I understand how your mom feels,” Barbara Sue told Erik, regarding a heritage the family had lost connection to.
Life in professional wrestling had not left Bill much time to share his own cultural history with his children, so Barbara Sue worked to share that with Erik and his siblings.
“It was my father’s sister, my aunt Barbara Sue, (who) taught me so much about my Chickasaw heritage,” Erik said. “It was important to her to teach us about her and my dad’s mother’s heritage. She did the research and fact finding for the family. She put packets together for me, my brother and my sister. Because of her work, all we had to do was sign forms and send them back to become Chickasaw citizens.”
He said Barbara Sue’s work was time-consuming, and her research was done the old-fashioned way.
“You’ve got to remember that this was before Google and the internet and all that. She was running down this information on the phone, mail and faxes. It took a lot of time and was a lot of work. What a beautiful and incredible lady to take the hours, the days, the weeks and overall time to teach us kids about who we are. That packet is one of the greatest gifts I have ever been given,” Erik said.
For many years, Erik believed that his family’s Chickasaw connection ended with his generation.
Chickasaw Nation Community Outreach
Along with introducing citizens from across the United States to countless Chickasaw Nation programs and services, Chickasaw Nation Community Outreach has reshaped how many view family history and future generations. This year, Erik attended a community outreach meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, for Chickasaw citizens outside of Chickasaw Nation treaty territory.
“I went to my first community outreach meeting this year. It was eye-opening,” Erik said. “I thought the meeting was going to be where locals got together to talk and get to know each other, not a place where tribal representatives were available to get information from. It took me years and years to find the time to make it. Now I wish I had made it sooner.”
It was at this community outreach meeting where Erik would reconnect with his family’s Chickasaw heritage in an unexpected way.
“I overheard parents talking about their kids and the benefits they received. I mentioned that I wish mine could have received them as well, but they couldn’t because they weren’t citizens,” Erik said.
“When I said that, the Chickasaw Nation’s representatives’ eyes got big, and I didn’t think I was going to be able to pull their chins off the floor. That is when I was told that my children were every bit as Chickasaw as I am, that the line does not stop at 1/64th (blood quantum) like I was told by family,” Erik said.
Like his father Bill, Erik understood he was Chickasaw. However, the family believed his generation was the last to be recognized as Chickasaw citizens — that blood quantum was the deciding factor on official Chickasaw citizenship status.
“I was told (citizens) could be 1% of 1% of 1%, and they are still Chickasaw,” Erik said. “I was so shocked I had to ask them to repeat that. When they said it again, I had the warmest feeling and ‘A-ha’ moment I have ever had. I didn’t know if I wanted to stay and listen or immediately run out and call my kids.”
Chickasaw heritage lives on
Erik has two children, son Noah and daughter Sydne. They both recognize Woodstock, Georgia, as their hometown. Both are currently in the process of becoming Chickasaw citizens. Numerous nieces and nephews of Watts are also in this process. The entire family is thankful for the information he learned while attending the meeting.
“The first person I actually called was my brother, Micah,” Erik said. “It was mind-boggling to him that generations after us are Chickasaw as well. He immediately wanted to get off the phone to let my sister, Ene, know that her three children could apply to be Chickasaw citizens as well.”
Noah is a graduate of Kennesaw State University and is living in Georgia. Sydne is currently a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps and recent graduate of the United States Naval Academy.
Sydne played basketball for the United States Naval Academy. She started all four years and was in the class of 2024. During the 2022-2023 basketball season, she was honored as the Patriot League Player of the Week in November. Sydne played in 29 games and led the team in scoring with 12.7 points per game average.
“She applied and was chosen to become a Marine (officer),” Erik said. “Being a Marine is intense. Only about 4% of Marine officers are female. She is honored to have been selected to this elite group. She is a dedicated athlete. She is a dedicated Marine.”
Erik is delighted at the prospect of the Chickasaw Nation honoring Sydne as a recognized Chickasaw Warrior when her service in the Marine Corps is completed.
According to Erik, Sydne may also follow in the “family business” of wrestling. There are rumors that Sydne has tried out for a major wrestling promotion in the United States, and the promotion is considering signing her.
Along with being Chickasaw, the Watts family connection to Oklahoma runs deep. Erik was born in Oklahoma City. He attended high school in Bixby and still considers that area home.
Their Chickasaw heritage is meaningful to the entire family. Perhaps more so after receiving the gift of knowing each of Erik’s children may soon be enrolled Chickasaw citizens. According to Erik, a major regret is taking so long to attend a Chickasaw Nation Community Outreach meeting and to learn his children would carry on his Chickasaw legacy.
Erik said the process to become a Chickasaw citizen has been easy for family members. The paperwork needed is similar to that of applying for the REAL ID, with the addition of proving a link to a descendant listed on the original Dawes Rolls.
Living outside of the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation, Erik appreciates the ways the tribe keeps him connected through outlets such as the in-person community outreach program, the Chickasaw Times, direct mailers, the AYA – Your Fitness Journey application and social media.
For more information about Chickasaw citizen groups, visit Chickasaw.net/CitizenGroups.