Jim Crockett Promotions
Encyclopedia
Jim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion
owned by Jim Crockett, Jr.
until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance
(NWA) and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling
(WCW).
began promoting professional wrestling from his home base of Charlotte, North Carolina
(though his first shows were in eastern Tennessee
). Crockett also promoted other events (including musical concerts, theatrical plays, and minor league baseball
and ice hockey
) under the banner of Jim Crockett Promotions (with the company being officially incorporated as such in the 1950s).
The company was called Jim Crockett Promotions throughout its history and used many brand names for its various TV shows, newspaper and radio ads, and on tickets. Among those brand names were the generic standbys "Championship Wrestling" and "All Star Wrestling," as well as "East Coast Wrestling," "Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling," "Mid-Atlantic Championship Sports," "Wide World Wrestling," and "World Wide Wrestling."
Crockett joined the National Wrestling Alliance
(NWA) in 1952, and his territory covered Virginia
, North
and South Carolina
. He promoted shows in this region for 38 years until his death in 1973, when his son, Jim Crockett, Jr.
, took over. The name "Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling" then became the company's primary brand name in print, radio, and other forms of advertising (the name was also used for their main television programs). Two years later, they introduced the Wide World Wrestling brand and television show (which was changed to World Wide Wrestling in 1978 and which existed later as WCW WorldWide
after the company was sold to Turner Broadcasting Company). The "World Wide" brand was used concurrently with the "Mid-Atlantic" brand.
, the promotion moved away from a tag team
product to focus more on singles wrestling, though tag team wrestling continued to play a big part in the company.
JCP gradually phased out its multiple weekly television tapings in such cities as Charlotte, North Carolina; Greenville, South Carolina
; and High Point, North Carolina
and eventually consolidated their taping schedule into one shoot, a Wednesday night affair at WRAL
in Raleigh
, an agreement that last until 1981, when they moved to WPCQ
studios in Charlotte (a station once owned by Ted Turner
). By the early 1970s, JCP began to consolidate its various local television shows, doing one master taping at WRAL studio in Raleigh, NC, which was then syndicated to stations throughout the Carolinas and Virginia.
The local shows hosted by announcers like Big Bill Ward (from WBTV in Charlotte) and Charlie Harville (at WGHP in High Point) gave way to Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling (known briefly in 1978 as Mid-Atlantic Championship Sports). Mid-Atlantic was hosted by Bob Caudle
(the longtime WRAL weatherman who handled the Raleigh wrestling duties). Caudle was joined by a rotating host of co-hosts (everyone from Les Thatcher
to Dr. Tom Miller) before David Crockett
stepped out of the ring after a short, uncelebrated career as a wrestler to become Caudle's color man. For a brief period, a secondary show called East Coast Wrestling was taped at WRAL. It was basically a repackaged version of 'Mid-Atlantic' and was announced by Big Bill Ward.
In 1975, JCP premiered a new syndicated "B-show" entitled Wide World Wrestling
(renamed World Wide Wrestling in 1978). The original host of this show was former Georgia Championship Wrestling
announcer Ed Capral. Subsequent Wide World/World Wide announcers included Les Thatcher, George
and Sandy Scott
, and Dr. Tom Miller. It was also hosted by the team of Rich Landrum
and Johnny Weaver
in the 1970s. In 1978, JCP later added a short-lived show called The Best of NWA Wrestling which was taped at WCCB
studios in Charlotte (across the street from the old Charlotte Coliseum
) and which featured then-active wrestler Johnny Weaver sitting down with top stars in a "coach's show" type environment, in which they commentated over 16 millimeter films shot at local arenas. Rich Landrum and David Crockett appeared on "Best Of" doing promo interviews for local arena shows.
JCP gradually began to expand, running shows in eastern Tennessee, parts of West Virginia
, and Savannah, Georgia
. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, they moved into Cincinnati
and Dayton, Ohio
. Crockett and Scott also bought into Frank Tunney
's promotion in Toronto
, which ran under the Maple Leaf Wrestling
brand name. Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling was seen on a station out of Buffalo, New York
, which allowed the joint Tunney/Crockett/Scott effort to bring a full slate of shows to Ontario
and upstate New York
.
took over as his booker this year (the following year, Anderson booked both JCP and GCW at the same time).
In 1982, Crockett partnered with wrestlers Ric Flair
and Blackjack Mulligan
to start a secondary company out of Knoxville, Tennessee
, which operated under the brand name Southern Championship Wrestling. That group featured such stars as Mulligan, his son Barry Windham
(then wrestling as Blackjack Mulligan, Jr.), Kevin Sullivan
, Wayne Ferris
, The Mongolian Stomper
, Terry Taylor
, Tim Horner
, and others. The group lasted less than a year.
By the 1980s, the wrestling world was undergoing significant changes. The old NWA territory system was collapsing under pressure from the Vincent K. McMahon
's World Wrestling Federation (WWF)
, which began to operate nationwide. Crockett had similar plans, envisioning a united NWA by purchasing or merging all of its member territories.
Ted Turner
had realized the value of professional wrestling for cable television in the early 1970s. This was a smart move for Turner, as wrestling was a source of cheap, live entertainment, well suited to his cable network. He could run per inquiry ads (Slim Whitman
albums, Ginsu
knives, etc.) and take part of the sales profits just by bringing in a big audience through pro wrestling (which generally did not attract big ad revenue due to its perceived demographic). In 1982, Crockett ended his second year as NWA president. Turner's SuperStation TBS had asked Georgia Championship Wrestling, Inc.
to change its public brand name to World Championship Wrestling
(WCW) and there were rumblings that the Jim Barnett
-controlled company would go national; Georgia Championship Wrestling was now able to be called WCW by the next year (1983).
By 1983, JCP went from recording its weekly shows in a television studio, to recording them live in arenas. After purchasing a mobile television unit for $1 million, Crockett created the new dominant supercard for the NWA, Starrcade
.
In 1984, the WWF purchased a majority interest in GCW from a number of its shareholders, including the Brisco brothers (Jack
and Jerry
) and Jim Barnett, and thus controlled GCW's Saturday night timeslot on WTBS. This was part of the WWF's attempt to go national, in part by co-opting local wrestling timeslots. However, TBS received many complaints for the move, so much so that another promotion backed by holdout GCW shareholder and NWA member Fred Ward and former GCW wrestler/booker Ole Anderson was given an early Saturday morning time slot on TBS. This company (and its television show and brand name) was named Championship Wrestling from Georgia
. This program, along with Bill Watts
's Mid-South Wrestling, easily surpassed the WWF TBS clip show program. The decline in ratings for the Saturday evening show, and the fans clamoring for GCW, began to make the WWF's move one that lost the federation money. Eventually, McMahon cut his losses and sold the timeslot to Crockett for $
1 million. This chain of events and McMahon's refusal to sell to Turner were critical in Turner's later decision to purchase Jim Crockett Promotions and form WCW in its wake.
An extra sense of urgency was added to Crockett's national ambitions when, after Frank Tunney's death, the Toronto promotion joined forces with the WWF. If Crockett wanted to run shows outside the Mid-Atlantic states, he would have to either find other willing promoters, or buy out their territories. This period also marked Crockett's first attempt to create a national federation; Crockett and other wrestling companies needed the opportunity after the buyout occurred, as well as after the WWF program The War to Settle the Score
aired on MTV
. Together with Verne Gagne
's American Wrestling Association
(AWA), Championship Wrestling from Georgia, and Memphis-based Jarrett Promotions, Jim Crockett Promotions would create Pro Wrestling USA
. However, the organization fell apart in January 1986.
banner, which had been adopted by GCW before its demise; with this purchased Jim Crockett Promotions was also now more. As a result of the success WCW now had from acquiring the Saturday night time slots, Crockett, along with JCP booker Dusty Rhodes
, was able to establish the annual supercard known as The Great American Bash
.
By 1987, Crockett was elected to a third term as NWA president and gained control (either through purchase or working agreements) of the St. Louis Wrestling Club
, Heart of America Sports Attractions
(Bob Geigel
's Central States brand), Championship Wrestling from Florida, and Bill Watts
's Mid-South Sports (which operated under the Mid-South Wrestling, and later, upon expansion, Universal Wrestling Federation brand names). Despite Crockett having six consolidated territories under his banner and being NWA president, JCP and NWA were two separate entities and Crockett, like all NWA promoters before him and since, was simply licensing the NWA brand name. This despite the fact that during his reign, Crockett had an iron clad grip on the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
as by that point, Ric Flair
was locked in as champion and any title changes that occurred henceforth were to other wrestlers (e.g. Dusty Rhodes, Ronnie Garvin
, etc.) who were in Crockett's employ.
Crockett's rapid expansion had significant financial consequences for the company. JCP expanded operations, and by December, the UWF completely absorbed itself as part of WCW and JCP moved many of its employees from its Charlotte base to Watts's former headquarters in Dallas
(with Jim Crockett and Dusty Rhodes manning the Dallas office, David Crockett was left in charge of the Charlotte wing). Bob Geigel, who bought his promotion back from Crockett in February 1987 through a partnership, had also withdrawn from the NWA as well. They began to run shows in new markets from coast to coast, greatly increasing travel costs and other overhead. Their first pay-per-view endeavor, 1987's Starrcade
, was scheduled in its traditional Thanksgiving slot, but ran into competition from WWF's debuting Survivor Series
. Not wanting to compete directly with the Survivor Series, JCP decided to move Starrcade to an earlier, afternoon timeslot that day. However, the WWF informed cable companies that if they chose to air Starrcade, they would not be offered future WWF shows such as Survivor Series '87 and WrestleMania IV
. At the time, WWF was the uncontested market leader in PPV, and only a handful of companies committed to JCP, devastating the show's profitability.
A similar incident occurred in January 1988, when WWF scheduled the first Royal Rumble
special on the USA Network
against JCP's Bunkhouse Stampede
pay-per-view, again cutting into its buyrate. As a result, Crockett aired the first ever Clash of the Champions
on TBS on March 27, 1988 to draw viewers away from WrestleMania IV
, which also took place this night too, this was one of the few strategic tactics to actually work for the fledgling JCP as the buyrate for WrestleMania IV was much lower than that of the previous Survivor Series '87. Clash of the Champions was now the only thing Crockett could use to keep the NWA alive, though it was not as watched as Saturday Night's Main Event. On the verge of bankruptcy, Crockett sold his company to Ted Turner in November 1988, where it became known as World Championship Wrestling.
, who was the promotion's top babyface
and scheduled to become the new NWA Champion at Starrcade 1986, was severely injured in a car accident on October 14, 1986, and had to end his wrestling career; Nikita Koloff
turned face on October 25, 1986 and took Magnum T.A.'s place. JCP alienated loyal fans in the Carolinas by moving Starrcade '87
and Bunkhouse Stampede
to Chicago and New York, respectively. Since JCP had no real history in those areas, they subsequently hampered JCP's drawing power for arena shows in the Southeast
. JCP also flushed away a potentially profitable angle following the acquisition of Bill Watts
's UWF by having their superstars bury the UWF's talent and treat the UWF's titles as being second-rate.
Crockett flew himself and the top stars of his promotion around in an expensive private jet. In addition to the expense of Crockett's personal jet, there were other extravagant purchases such as the limousines provided for various wrestlers and regular business parties held by officials throughout its offices in the region. In addition, as previously mentioned, with the large amount of capital needed to take a wrestling federation on a national tour, Crockett's territorial acquisitions had seriously drained JCP's coffers.
Meanwhile, midcarder Ron Garvin
beat perennial champion Ric Flair
for the world title. Although Garvin was booked to be a babyface, fans did not find Garvin credible enough to be a serious contender for Flair's title.
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
owned by Jim Crockett, Jr.
Jim Crockett, Jr.
Jim Crockett, Jr. is a former professional wrestling promoter. From 1973 to 1988, he owned Jim Crockett Promotions , a wrestling company affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance...
until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
(NWA) and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
(WCW).
Early history
In 1931, Jim Crockett, Sr.Jim Crockett
James Allen Crockett was a professional wrestling promoter sometimes known as Jim Crockett, Sr. or to people within the business simply as "Big Jim".-Early life:...
began promoting professional wrestling from his home base of Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
(though his first shows were in eastern Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
). Crockett also promoted other events (including musical concerts, theatrical plays, and minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
and ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
) under the banner of Jim Crockett Promotions (with the company being officially incorporated as such in the 1950s).
The company was called Jim Crockett Promotions throughout its history and used many brand names for its various TV shows, newspaper and radio ads, and on tickets. Among those brand names were the generic standbys "Championship Wrestling" and "All Star Wrestling," as well as "East Coast Wrestling," "Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling," "Mid-Atlantic Championship Sports," "Wide World Wrestling," and "World Wide Wrestling."
Crockett joined the National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
(NWA) in 1952, and his territory covered Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, North
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. He promoted shows in this region for 38 years until his death in 1973, when his son, Jim Crockett, Jr.
Jim Crockett, Jr.
Jim Crockett, Jr. is a former professional wrestling promoter. From 1973 to 1988, he owned Jim Crockett Promotions , a wrestling company affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance...
, took over. The name "Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling" then became the company's primary brand name in print, radio, and other forms of advertising (the name was also used for their main television programs). Two years later, they introduced the Wide World Wrestling brand and television show (which was changed to World Wide Wrestling in 1978 and which existed later as WCW WorldWide
WCW WorldWide
WCW WorldWide was a syndicated TV show produced by World Championship Wrestling.-Wide World Wrestling:The show began in 1975 , a syndicated one-hour program produced by Charlotte, North Carolina-based Jim Crockett Promotions...
after the company was sold to Turner Broadcasting Company). The "World Wide" brand was used concurrently with the "Mid-Atlantic" brand.
1970s
Headed by the younger Crockett, and under the guidance of a new creative force, former wrestler George ScottGeorge Scott (wrestler)
George Scott was a Canadian professional wrestler, booker and promoter. From the 1950s until the 1970s, he and his younger brother Sandy competed as The Flying Scotts in North American regional promotions including the National Wrestling Alliance, particularly the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic...
, the promotion moved away from a tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
product to focus more on singles wrestling, though tag team wrestling continued to play a big part in the company.
JCP gradually phased out its multiple weekly television tapings in such cities as Charlotte, North Carolina; Greenville, South Carolina
Greenville, South Carolina
-Law and government:The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976.-History:The area was part of the Cherokee Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families...
; and High Point, North Carolina
High Point, North Carolina
High Point is a city located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina. As of 2010 the city had a total population of 104,371, according to the US Census Bureau. High Point is currently the eighth-largest municipality in North Carolina....
and eventually consolidated their taping schedule into one shoot, a Wednesday night affair at WRAL
WRAL-TV
WRAL-TV, virtual channel 5 , is a television station in Raleigh, North Carolina. WRAL-TV has been the flagship station of Capitol Broadcasting Company since its inception, and is currently the CBS affiliate for the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill/Fayetteville area, known collectively as the Triangle...
in Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, an agreement that last until 1981, when they moved to WPCQ
WCNC-TV
WCNC-TV is the NBC affiliate in Charlotte, North Carolina. It broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 22 and is carried on cable channel 6 on most area cable systems. It is owned by the Belo Corporation...
studios in Charlotte (a station once owned by Ted Turner
Ted Turner
Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III is an American media mogul and philanthropist. As a businessman, he is known as founder of the cable news network CNN, the first dedicated 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he founded WTBS, which pioneered the superstation concept in cable television...
). By the early 1970s, JCP began to consolidate its various local television shows, doing one master taping at WRAL studio in Raleigh, NC, which was then syndicated to stations throughout the Carolinas and Virginia.
The local shows hosted by announcers like Big Bill Ward (from WBTV in Charlotte) and Charlie Harville (at WGHP in High Point) gave way to Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling (known briefly in 1978 as Mid-Atlantic Championship Sports). Mid-Atlantic was hosted by Bob Caudle
Bob Caudle
Bob Caudle is an American professional wrestling announcer most notable for his time with The National Wrestling Alliance-NWA. He started working with Jim Crockett Promotions in the late 1950s for promoter Jim Crockett, Sr...
(the longtime WRAL weatherman who handled the Raleigh wrestling duties). Caudle was joined by a rotating host of co-hosts (everyone from Les Thatcher
Les Thatcher
Leslie Alan Malady better known by the name Les Thatcher is a former professional wrestler who achievied many accolades over his career...
to Dr. Tom Miller) before David Crockett
David Crockett (wrestling)
David F. Crockett is a former professional wrestling announcer and executive from Charlotte, North Carolina. He is the son of Jim Crockett and brother to Jim Crockett, Jr. He was usually paired in announcing duties with Tony Schiavone, with Crockett providing color commentary and Schiavone...
stepped out of the ring after a short, uncelebrated career as a wrestler to become Caudle's color man. For a brief period, a secondary show called East Coast Wrestling was taped at WRAL. It was basically a repackaged version of 'Mid-Atlantic' and was announced by Big Bill Ward.
In 1975, JCP premiered a new syndicated "B-show" entitled Wide World Wrestling
WCW WorldWide
WCW WorldWide was a syndicated TV show produced by World Championship Wrestling.-Wide World Wrestling:The show began in 1975 , a syndicated one-hour program produced by Charlotte, North Carolina-based Jim Crockett Promotions...
(renamed World Wide Wrestling in 1978). The original host of this show was former Georgia Championship Wrestling
Georgia Championship Wrestling
Georgia Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion whose self-titled TV program aired in the 1970s and 1980s on Atlanta, U.S., superstation WTBS. Though based in Atlanta, the company also ran live wrestling shows throughout its geographic "territory" of Georgia Georgia...
announcer Ed Capral. Subsequent Wide World/World Wide announcers included Les Thatcher, George
George Scott (wrestler)
George Scott was a Canadian professional wrestler, booker and promoter. From the 1950s until the 1970s, he and his younger brother Sandy competed as The Flying Scotts in North American regional promotions including the National Wrestling Alliance, particularly the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic...
and Sandy Scott
Sandy Scott
Angus Mackay Scott , better known by his ring name Sandy Scott, was a Canadian professional wrestler. He worked with his older brother George from the 1950s until the 1970s as The Flying Scotts in North American regional promotions including the National Wrestling Alliance, particularly the Midwest...
, and Dr. Tom Miller. It was also hosted by the team of Rich Landrum
Rich Landrum
Richard E. Landrum is best known as a radio and TV broadcaster. He started his broadcasting career at the age of 16.- 1960s :...
and Johnny Weaver
Johnny Weaver
Kenneth Eugene Weaver was a professional wrestler and wrestling commentator in the National Wrestling Alliance, better known by his ring name, Johnny Weaver...
in the 1970s. In 1978, JCP later added a short-lived show called The Best of NWA Wrestling which was taped at WCCB
WCCB
WCCB is the Fox affiliate television station in Charlotte, North Carolina. The station's headquarters are located just outside Uptown, off Independence Boulevard across from Bojangles' Coliseum at . It is the flagship station of its owner and operator, Bahakel Communications...
studios in Charlotte (across the street from the old Charlotte Coliseum
Cricket Arena
Bojangles' Coliseum is a 9,605-seat multi-purpose arena, in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is operated by the Charlotte Coliseum Authority, which also oversees the Ovens Auditorium and the Charlotte Convention Center...
) and which featured then-active wrestler Johnny Weaver sitting down with top stars in a "coach's show" type environment, in which they commentated over 16 millimeter films shot at local arenas. Rich Landrum and David Crockett appeared on "Best Of" doing promo interviews for local arena shows.
JCP gradually began to expand, running shows in eastern Tennessee, parts of West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, and Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, they moved into Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
and Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
. Crockett and Scott also bought into Frank Tunney
Frank Tunney
Francis Martin “Frank” Tunney was a Canadian professional wrestling promoter, based in Toronto.-Early years:...
's promotion in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, which ran under the Maple Leaf Wrestling
Maple Leaf Wrestling
Maple Leaf Wrestling was the unofficial name in the 1970s and 1980s of the professional wrestling promotion run by Frank Tunney in Toronto.-Queensbury Athletic Club:...
brand name. Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling was seen on a station out of Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, which allowed the joint Tunney/Crockett/Scott effort to bring a full slate of shows to Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
.
1980s
In 1980, Jim Crockett Jr. was elected President of the NWA. In 1981, Crockett moved his taping site from WRAL in Raleigh to WPCQ studios in Charlotte. Former (and future) Georgia Championship Wrestling booker Ole AndersonOle Anderson
Alan Robert Rogowski , better known by his ring name of Ole Anderson, is a retired professional wrestler and a promoter. He held numerous NWA World Tag Team Championships with Gene Anderson, who was portrayed as his brother...
took over as his booker this year (the following year, Anderson booked both JCP and GCW at the same time).
In 1982, Crockett partnered with wrestlers Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
and Blackjack Mulligan
Blackjack Mulligan
Robert Jack Windham , better known by his ring name Blackjack Mulligan is a former professional wrestler and a former American football player...
to start a secondary company out of Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
, which operated under the brand name Southern Championship Wrestling. That group featured such stars as Mulligan, his son Barry Windham
Barry Windham
Barry Clinton Windham is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and the son of wrestler Blackjack Mulligan. He is best known for his appearances with the National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling ....
(then wrestling as Blackjack Mulligan, Jr.), Kevin Sullivan
Kevin Sullivan (wrestler)
Kevin Francis Sullivan is an American professional wrestler and booker, perhaps best known for his role in WCW as "The Taskmaster" and his leading of the "Dungeon of Doom".-Early career:...
, Wayne Ferris
The Honky Tonk Man
Roy Wayne Farris , better known by his ring name The Honky Tonk Man, is an American professional wrestler. A 1975 graduate from University of Memphis with a B.S. degree in Education. Coached high school football 2 seasons at Munford High School in Munford, Tennessee...
, The Mongolian Stomper
Mongolian Stomper
Archie Gouldie is a Canadian professional wrestler better known by his ring name The Mongolian Stomper.-Stampede Wrestling:Gouldie held the North American heavyweight title a record ten times between 1968 and 1984, quite a streak of longevity for that time frame...
, Terry Taylor
Terry Taylor
Terry Taylor , is an American retired professional wrestler best known for his time in the National Wrestling Alliance, World Championship Wrestling, and the World Wrestling Federation...
, Tim Horner
Tim Horner
Tim Horner is a professional wrestler best known for his "Lightning Express" tag team with Brad Armstrong.-Career:Tim Horner started wrestling in 1982 in the Alabama territory. He formed a tag team called the "Lightning Express" with Brad Armstrong and they had a lot of success. They won the...
, and others. The group lasted less than a year.
By the 1980s, the wrestling world was undergoing significant changes. The old NWA territory system was collapsing under pressure from the Vincent K. McMahon
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
's World Wrestling Federation (WWF)
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
, which began to operate nationwide. Crockett had similar plans, envisioning a united NWA by purchasing or merging all of its member territories.
Ted Turner
Ted Turner
Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III is an American media mogul and philanthropist. As a businessman, he is known as founder of the cable news network CNN, the first dedicated 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he founded WTBS, which pioneered the superstation concept in cable television...
had realized the value of professional wrestling for cable television in the early 1970s. This was a smart move for Turner, as wrestling was a source of cheap, live entertainment, well suited to his cable network. He could run per inquiry ads (Slim Whitman
Slim Whitman
Ottis Dewey Whitman, Jr. , known professionally as Slim Whitman, is an American country music singer and songwriter, known for his yodelling abilities. He has sold in excess of 120 million albums in unit sales and has had numerous successful recordings...
albums, Ginsu
Ginsu
The Ginsu knife is a product best known for the sales techniques used to promote it.The "amazing" Ginsu knife became known to millions of television viewers in the USA through ubiquitous television advertisements in the 1970s...
knives, etc.) and take part of the sales profits just by bringing in a big audience through pro wrestling (which generally did not attract big ad revenue due to its perceived demographic). In 1982, Crockett ended his second year as NWA president. Turner's SuperStation TBS had asked Georgia Championship Wrestling, Inc.
Georgia Championship Wrestling
Georgia Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion whose self-titled TV program aired in the 1970s and 1980s on Atlanta, U.S., superstation WTBS. Though based in Atlanta, the company also ran live wrestling shows throughout its geographic "territory" of Georgia Georgia...
to change its public brand name to World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
(WCW) and there were rumblings that the Jim Barnett
Jim Barnett (wrestling)
James E. Barnett was an American professional wrestling promoter, and owner of Georgia Championship Wrestling and Australia's World Championship Wrestling.-Professional wrestling career:...
-controlled company would go national; Georgia Championship Wrestling was now able to be called WCW by the next year (1983).
By 1983, JCP went from recording its weekly shows in a television studio, to recording them live in arenas. After purchasing a mobile television unit for $1 million, Crockett created the new dominant supercard for the NWA, Starrcade
Starrcade
Starrcade was an annual professional wrestling event held from 1983 to 2000 by the National Wrestling Alliance and later World Championship Wrestling as their flagship event equal to WWE's WrestleMania , and featured the largest feuds of the promotion...
.
In 1984, the WWF purchased a majority interest in GCW from a number of its shareholders, including the Brisco brothers (Jack
Jack Brisco
Freddie Joe Brisco was an American professional wrestler, better known as Jack Brisco or Uvalde Slim. He performed for various territories of the National Wrestling Alliance , becoming a two-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, and multi-time NWA Tag Team Champion with his brother Gerald Brisco...
and Jerry
Gerald Brisco
Floyd Gerald "Jerry" Brisco is a former American professional wrestler, and prior to June, 2009, worked as a road agent for WWE on its Raw brand....
) and Jim Barnett, and thus controlled GCW's Saturday night timeslot on WTBS. This was part of the WWF's attempt to go national, in part by co-opting local wrestling timeslots. However, TBS received many complaints for the move, so much so that another promotion backed by holdout GCW shareholder and NWA member Fred Ward and former GCW wrestler/booker Ole Anderson was given an early Saturday morning time slot on TBS. This company (and its television show and brand name) was named Championship Wrestling from Georgia
Georgia Championship Wrestling
Georgia Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion whose self-titled TV program aired in the 1970s and 1980s on Atlanta, U.S., superstation WTBS. Though based in Atlanta, the company also ran live wrestling shows throughout its geographic "territory" of Georgia Georgia...
. This program, along with Bill Watts
Bill Watts
William F. "Bill" Watts is a former American professional wrestler and promoter. Watts was famous under his "Cowboy" gimmick in his wrestling career, and then as a tough, no-nonsense promoter in the Mid-South area of the United States, which grew to become the UWF.In 1992, he was the Executive...
's Mid-South Wrestling, easily surpassed the WWF TBS clip show program. The decline in ratings for the Saturday evening show, and the fans clamoring for GCW, began to make the WWF's move one that lost the federation money. Eventually, McMahon cut his losses and sold the timeslot to Crockett for $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
1 million. This chain of events and McMahon's refusal to sell to Turner were critical in Turner's later decision to purchase Jim Crockett Promotions and form WCW in its wake.
An extra sense of urgency was added to Crockett's national ambitions when, after Frank Tunney's death, the Toronto promotion joined forces with the WWF. If Crockett wanted to run shows outside the Mid-Atlantic states, he would have to either find other willing promoters, or buy out their territories. This period also marked Crockett's first attempt to create a national federation; Crockett and other wrestling companies needed the opportunity after the buyout occurred, as well as after the WWF program The War to Settle the Score
The War to Settle the Score
The War to Settle the Score was a professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling Federation and broadcast live on MTV. It took place at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York on February 18, 1985. The main event featured Hulk Hogan defending the WWF Championship against Roddy...
aired on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. Together with Verne Gagne
Verne Gagne
Laverne Clarence "Verne" Gagne , is a retired American professional wrestler, football player, and professional wrestling trainer and promoter. He was the former owner/promoter of the American Wrestling Association , based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which was the predominant promotion throughout...
's American Wrestling Association
American Wrestling Association
The American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
(AWA), Championship Wrestling from Georgia, and Memphis-based Jarrett Promotions, Jim Crockett Promotions would create Pro Wrestling USA
Pro Wrestling USA
Pro Wrestling USA was a professional wrestling promotion in the United States of America in the mid 1980s. It was an attempt to unify various federations, including the American Wrestling Association , Jim Crockett Promotions and other members of the National Wrestling Alliance .-Background:By...
. However, the organization fell apart in January 1986.
NWA 'Unification'
Crockett bought out Ole Anderson's CWG, on April 6, 1985, and was re-elected NWA president; this was to help counter the WWF after it became the dominant wrestling business after the first WrestleMania occurred. Then, he purchased both the Saturday evening TBS slots from Ted Turner, who needed extra money to also create Saturday Night's Main Event, and became the owner of WCW. He filled the timeslot with two hours of original programming filmed in Ted Turner's Atlanta studios. The programming aired under the World Championship WrestlingWCW Saturday Night
WCW Saturday Night was a weekly Saturday night TV show on TBS produced by World Championship Wrestling. The program existed through various incarnations under different names before becoming WCW Saturday Night in 1992...
banner, which had been adopted by GCW before its demise; with this purchased Jim Crockett Promotions was also now more. As a result of the success WCW now had from acquiring the Saturday night time slots, Crockett, along with JCP booker Dusty Rhodes
Dusty Rhodes (wrestler)
Virgil Riley Runnels, Jr. , better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler currently working for WWE...
, was able to establish the annual supercard known as The Great American Bash
The Great American Bash
The Great American Bash was an annual summer professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the National Wrestling Alliance's Jim Crockett Promotions and then by World Championship Wrestling. It is now produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
.
By 1987, Crockett was elected to a third term as NWA president and gained control (either through purchase or working agreements) of the St. Louis Wrestling Club
St. Louis Wrestling Club
The St. Louis Wrestling Club was a professional wrestling promotion based in St. Louis, Missouri. It was owned and operated by Sam Muchnick. The promotion was a flagship member of the National Wrestling Alliance, and promoted primarily in the St. Louis area. It was colloquially referred to within...
, Heart of America Sports Attractions
Heart of America Sports Attractions
Heart of America Sports Attractions, also known as the Midwest Wrestling Association, Central States Wrestling and the World Wrestling Alliance, was an American professional wrestling promotion that ran shows mainly in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa...
(Bob Geigel
Bob Geigel
Robert "Bob" Geigel is a former American professional wrestling promoter and also a former professional wrestler. Geigel ran the NWA Central States promotion between 1963 and 1986, until it was bought out by Jim Crockett Promotions...
's Central States brand), Championship Wrestling from Florida, and Bill Watts
Bill Watts
William F. "Bill" Watts is a former American professional wrestler and promoter. Watts was famous under his "Cowboy" gimmick in his wrestling career, and then as a tough, no-nonsense promoter in the Mid-South area of the United States, which grew to become the UWF.In 1992, he was the Executive...
's Mid-South Sports (which operated under the Mid-South Wrestling, and later, upon expansion, Universal Wrestling Federation brand names). Despite Crockett having six consolidated territories under his banner and being NWA president, JCP and NWA were two separate entities and Crockett, like all NWA promoters before him and since, was simply licensing the NWA brand name. This despite the fact that during his reign, Crockett had an iron clad grip on the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
The National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
as by that point, Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
was locked in as champion and any title changes that occurred henceforth were to other wrestlers (e.g. Dusty Rhodes, Ronnie Garvin
Ron Garvin
Ron Garvin is a Canadian former professional wrestler and referee most known for his time in the National Wrestling Alliance.-Early career:...
, etc.) who were in Crockett's employ.
Crockett's rapid expansion had significant financial consequences for the company. JCP expanded operations, and by December, the UWF completely absorbed itself as part of WCW and JCP moved many of its employees from its Charlotte base to Watts's former headquarters in Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
(with Jim Crockett and Dusty Rhodes manning the Dallas office, David Crockett was left in charge of the Charlotte wing). Bob Geigel, who bought his promotion back from Crockett in February 1987 through a partnership, had also withdrawn from the NWA as well. They began to run shows in new markets from coast to coast, greatly increasing travel costs and other overhead. Their first pay-per-view endeavor, 1987's Starrcade
Starrcade (1987)
Starrcade '87 was the fifth annual Starrcade professional wrestling event produced by Jim Crockett Promotions under the National Wrestling Alliance banner. It took place on November 26, 1987 from the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois...
, was scheduled in its traditional Thanksgiving slot, but ran into competition from WWF's debuting Survivor Series
Survivor Series (1987)
Survivor Series was the first Survivor Series pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 1987 and was held at the Richfield Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio....
. Not wanting to compete directly with the Survivor Series, JCP decided to move Starrcade to an earlier, afternoon timeslot that day. However, the WWF informed cable companies that if they chose to air Starrcade, they would not be offered future WWF shows such as Survivor Series '87 and WrestleMania IV
WrestleMania IV
WrestleMania IV was the fourth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on March 27, 1988 at the Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, New Jersey....
. At the time, WWF was the uncontested market leader in PPV, and only a handful of companies committed to JCP, devastating the show's profitability.
A similar incident occurred in January 1988, when WWF scheduled the first Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble (1988)
Royal Rumble was the first annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on January 24, 1988 at the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario...
special on the USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
against JCP's Bunkhouse Stampede
Bunkhouse Stampede
The Bunkhouse Stampede was a professional wrestling show held annually by Jim Crockett Promotions from 1985 through 1988.-Concept:In 1985, the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions came up with a new match to increase the fans' interest in their product...
pay-per-view, again cutting into its buyrate. As a result, Crockett aired the first ever Clash of the Champions
Clash of the Champions
The Clash of the Champions were a series of professional wrestling television specials aired by World Championship Wrestling. The specials were supercards intended to feature pay-per-view caliber matches, similar to World Wrestling Federation's Saturday Night's Main Event.The first Clash of the...
on TBS on March 27, 1988 to draw viewers away from WrestleMania IV
WrestleMania IV
WrestleMania IV was the fourth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on March 27, 1988 at the Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, New Jersey....
, which also took place this night too, this was one of the few strategic tactics to actually work for the fledgling JCP as the buyrate for WrestleMania IV was much lower than that of the previous Survivor Series '87. Clash of the Champions was now the only thing Crockett could use to keep the NWA alive, though it was not as watched as Saturday Night's Main Event. On the verge of bankruptcy, Crockett sold his company to Ted Turner in November 1988, where it became known as World Championship Wrestling.
Demise
The eventual downfall of JCP, leading up to its eventual sale to Ted Turner (and the birth of WCW) can be attributed to several key factors. Magnum T.A.Magnum T.A.
Terry Wayne Allen is a retired American professional wrestler, best known under the ring name Magnum T.A..-Early years:...
, who was the promotion's top babyface
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
and scheduled to become the new NWA Champion at Starrcade 1986, was severely injured in a car accident on October 14, 1986, and had to end his wrestling career; Nikita Koloff
Nikita Koloff
Nikita Koloff is a retired American professional wrestler,. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, he wrestled as "The Russian Nightmare" Nikita Koloff, which was a play on the nickname of fan favorite "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes .Nikita was brought into the National...
turned face on October 25, 1986 and took Magnum T.A.'s place. JCP alienated loyal fans in the Carolinas by moving Starrcade '87
Starrcade (1987)
Starrcade '87 was the fifth annual Starrcade professional wrestling event produced by Jim Crockett Promotions under the National Wrestling Alliance banner. It took place on November 26, 1987 from the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois...
and Bunkhouse Stampede
Bunkhouse Stampede
The Bunkhouse Stampede was a professional wrestling show held annually by Jim Crockett Promotions from 1985 through 1988.-Concept:In 1985, the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions came up with a new match to increase the fans' interest in their product...
to Chicago and New York, respectively. Since JCP had no real history in those areas, they subsequently hampered JCP's drawing power for arena shows in the Southeast
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
. JCP also flushed away a potentially profitable angle following the acquisition of Bill Watts
Bill Watts
William F. "Bill" Watts is a former American professional wrestler and promoter. Watts was famous under his "Cowboy" gimmick in his wrestling career, and then as a tough, no-nonsense promoter in the Mid-South area of the United States, which grew to become the UWF.In 1992, he was the Executive...
's UWF by having their superstars bury the UWF's talent and treat the UWF's titles as being second-rate.
Crockett flew himself and the top stars of his promotion around in an expensive private jet. In addition to the expense of Crockett's personal jet, there were other extravagant purchases such as the limousines provided for various wrestlers and regular business parties held by officials throughout its offices in the region. In addition, as previously mentioned, with the large amount of capital needed to take a wrestling federation on a national tour, Crockett's territorial acquisitions had seriously drained JCP's coffers.
Meanwhile, midcarder Ron Garvin
Ron Garvin
Ron Garvin is a Canadian former professional wrestler and referee most known for his time in the National Wrestling Alliance.-Early career:...
beat perennial champion Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
for the world title. Although Garvin was booked to be a babyface, fans did not find Garvin credible enough to be a serious contender for Flair's title.
Championships
- NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship contested for in Jim Crockett Promotions , a territory-promotion governed by the National Wrestling Alliance . The title was only contestable by male individual wrestlers...
- NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship is the tag team title currently defended in the National Wrestling Alliance's NWA Mid-Atlantic territory. The championship was originally created in the summer of 1968 and was originally named the NWA Atlantic Coast Tag Team Championship...
- NWA Mid-Atlantic Television Championship
- NWA National Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA National Heavyweight ChampionshipThe original version NWA National Heavyweight Championship was the major singles title in the NWA-affiliated Georgia Championship Wrestling from 1980 until 1986...
- NWA National Tag Team ChampionshipNWA National Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA National Tag Team Championship was the major tag team title in the NWA-affiliated Georgia Championship Wrestling from 1980 until 1986.The championship was introduced in November 1980 when Georgia Tag Team Champions the Fabulous Freebirds won a tournament to determine the first champions,...
- NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Mid-Atlantic version)WWE United States ChampionshipThe WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It was originally a National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling championship, and is currently the secondary championship of the Raw brand....
- NWA United States Heavyweight ChampionshipWWE United States ChampionshipThe WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It was originally a National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling championship, and is currently the secondary championship of the Raw brand....
- NWA United States Tag Team ChampionshipWCW United States Tag Team ChampionshipThe WCW United States Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team championship contested for in the United States-based National Wrestling Alliance , Jim Crockett Promotions , and World Championship Wrestling promotions. The title was only contestable by male tag teams and in tag...
- NWA United States Women's ChampionshipNWA United States Women's ChampionshipThe NWA United States Women's Championship was a sporadically used title in the National Wrestling Alliance from 1968 until 1987.-Title history:...
- NWA Western States Heritage ChampionshipNWA Western States Heritage ChampionshipThe NWA Western States Heritage Championship was a short-lived National Wrestling Alliance title in World Championship Wrestling that was filled via a tournament in the Universal Wrestling Federation in 1987, and defended in WCW until it was abandoned in 1989....
- NWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
- NWA World Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA World Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world championship and secondary title in the National Wrestling Alliance that was for the lighter wrestlers. It started in 1945 and still exists today. The title was unified with the National Boxing/Wrestling Association's...
- NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic version)
- NWA World Television Championship
- NWA World Women's Championship
See also
- Jim Crockett Promotions alumniJim Crockett Promotions alumniThe following is a list of stars who worked for Jim Crockett Promotions from 1973 until 1990, when the promotion became World Championship Wrestling. This does not include wrestlers who wrestled in other National Wrestling Alliance territories...
- Jim CrockettJim CrockettJames Allen Crockett was a professional wrestling promoter sometimes known as Jim Crockett, Sr. or to people within the business simply as "Big Jim".-Early life:...
- List of NWA World Heavyweight Champions