Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling
Encyclopedia
Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling was a Southeastern
independent professional wrestling promotion
based in Marietta, Georgia
. It was founded by retired wrestler and former NWA World Heavyweight Champion
Dusty Rhodes
in 2000 and, during its three years in operation, held events throughout the Southern United States
in Virginia
, Tennessee
, Florida
, Georgia
and Alabama
; it was especially popular in Atlanta, Georgia and Dothan, Alabama
where the promotion regularly held events. TCW also cooperated with rival independent promotions by holding interpromotional shows with Florida Championship Wrestling. The promotion, at its height, had a successful weekly television series in the Atlanta-Macon, Georgia
area and had planned to air one live pay-per-view
event before its close in 2003.
TCW later became home to many high-profile wrestlers after the close of World Championship Wrestling
, and later Extreme Championship Wrestling, in 2001. Among the former WCW roster included Sean Evans, Disco Inferno
, David Flair
, Lodi
, Daffney Glacier
, Ron Reis
, Sonny Siaki
, Scotty Riggs
, Larry Zbyszko
, Scott Hall
, and The Public Enemy
(Rocco Rock
& Johnny Grunge
), all of whom would win championship titles. His son Dustin Rhodes, who at the time was also wrestling for the World Wrestling Entertainment
as Goldust, also had a central role in the promotion and briefly held the TCW Heavyweight Championship in early 2002.
From ECW, Yoshihiro Tajiri
and Super Crazy
continued their long-running feud. The "heel stable
" The Extreme Horsemen was formed by ex-ECW stars Steve Corino
, Barry Windham
and C.W. Anderson
. Windham's brother, Kendall
, also made occasional appearances for the promotion.
Older stars such as father and son "Bullet" Bob
and Scott Armstrong, Manny Fernandez
, Bobby Eaton
, Ricky Morton
, female wrestlers Leilani Kai
, Malia Hosaka
and Kim Neilson
, and independent wrestlers Jorge Estrada, Jason Sugarman and Steve "The Brawler" Lawler
were part of the roster as well. Damian Steele, one-half of Ebony & Ivory with Ray Gordy
in Deep South Wrestling, got his start in Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling. Erik Watts
and Chad Fortune
, who previously teamed together in the World Wrestling Federation
as Tekno Team 2000
, also competed in the promotion.
. It would be, said Rhodes, a southern promotion that was "old school but with modern ideas". Early the next year, he started promoting local wrestling events in Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee as part of "The American Dream Tour 2000". The first official event held by TCW took place in Ashburn, Georgia
on July 6, 2000, and crowned its first heavyweight champion, Glacier
, defeating Jorge Estrada in tournament final. Rhodes, who had previous experience as a booker and television producer
for Jim Crockett Promotions
and World Championship Wrestling
, was able to get a television show aired in Atlanta and Macon, Georgia
and soon began negotiating with the Sunshine Network
hoping to build on the traditional wrestling fanbase in the Southern, Gulf Coast and Mid-Atlantic region.
In early 2001, the closings of World Championship Wrestling
and Extreme Championship Wrestling
resulted in the appearance of many of its former stars in TCW. Sean "Shocker" Evans, a trainer at the WCW Power Plant
, joined the promotion early on and helped bring in several former WCW stars. One of these was former manager/valet Daffney whose ex-husband, Rich Ward
, was a friend of Evans. She was one of four female wrestlers who competed for the promotion, the others being Kim Neilson
, Leilani Kai
and Malia Hosaka
.
A house show in Winchester, Tennessee
on February 17, later released on VHS, featured former ECW stars Yoshihiro Tajiri
and Super Crazy
, WCW veterans Ron Reis
, Glacier
, Scott Anton
and, in the main event, a tag team match between Dusty Rhodes and Barry Windham
against Erik Watts
and Steve Corino
. Female wrestlers Leilani Kai
and Malia Hosaka
also participated in an exhibition match. The next night in Carrollton, Georgia
featured a "Rookies" Battle Royal, showcasing the younger up-and-coming wrestlers in the promotion, and Dusty Rhodes with a mystery partner in a tag team match against Erik Watts and Steve "The Brawler" Lawler
. On March 3, Scott "The Clap" Anton
and "The Extreme Dream" Erik Watts
became the first TCW Tag Team Champions defeating Glacier and Jorge Estrada in Dothan, Alabama.
In April, Rhodes announced that the promotion would be airing its first PPV event that fall, originally on Thanksgiving
night in Charlotte, North Carolina
, and that TCW would also be airing on television. The series, Rhodes claimed, would feature regular TV appearances by some of the more recognizable wrestlers in professional wrestling, most notably, his son Dustin Rhodes. Scott Hall
also joined the promotion and made his official in-ring debut at a special house show in Dothan on May 12.
On June 16 in Calhoun, Georgia
, Larry Zbyszko
made an appearance to take on Dusty Rhodes in the main event. Though starting off as a singles match, it was turned into a tag team match following outside interference by Luther Biggs
and "Cowboy" Bobby Hayes. The match was eventually won by Rhodes and Hayes. The promotion also continued to hold regular monthly shows at the Houston County Farm Center in Dothan, Alabama
between July and December 2001.
The next month, Rhodes teamed with his son Dustin, then making his TCW debut less than three days after his WCW contract expired, at a Dothan house show on August 4. Together they faced C.W. Anderson
and the masked wrestler American Nightmare in the main event. Dustin Rhodes was highly supportive of TCW as he explained in an August 2001 interview with Greg Oliver, "TCW is the alternative to the World Wrestling Federation. To me in my mind, my opinion, and my dad's opinion, we are the World Wrestling Federation's competition. We are not an independent, we are a company. We want to be treated as one. So we're going to do everything we can to make it a respectable, family entertainment business."
Having begun holding events in Florida that year, Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling began branching out to rival promotions. Among these was NWA Florida, a promotion Rhodes' himself competed earlier in his career, and two of their stars, Jason Sugarman and Jorge Estrada, appeared at the August 21st NWA Florida show at the Fort Homer W. Hesterly Armory in Tampa, Florida
. Their match was to fill in for Cyborg and Horace Hogan
, both men having been injured. Steve Corino, then NWA World Heavyweight Champion
, defended the title in the main event against "Iceman" Buck Quartermaine
. NWA Florida stars Buck Quartermain and The New Heavenly Bodies
(Vito DeNucci and Chris Nelson) would appear at TCW house shows in late August. A secondary title, the TCW Hardcore Championship, was established when Lodi
defeated "Raging Bull" Manny Fernandez
in Carrollton, Georgia on September 15.
The promotion held its first television taping, TCW Halloween Horror Slam I, which was later released on VHS. It featured the tag team of Bobby Eaton
and Ricky Morton
, the two men having experienced a fierce rivalry during the 1980s as members of The Midnight Express and The Rock 'n' Roll Express respectively, in the semi-main event against Erik Watts
and Chad Fortune
. Watts and Fortune had previously teamed together in the World Wrestling Federation
during the 1990s as Tekno Team 2000
. In the main event, Glacier defended the TCW Heavyweight Championship against Barry Windham.
On December 28, 2001, TCW and NWA Florida held an interpromotional event at the Volusia County Fairgrounds
in DeLand, Florida
. In singles matches, Lex Lovett
defeated Steve Madison
, Jorge Estrada defeated Luther Biggs and Buck Quartermaine defeated Spanky Malone. In a match lasting over 30 minutes, TCW's Glacier and Jason Sugarman won the NWA World Tag Team Championship
from The New Heavenly Bodies. In the semi-main event, TCW Heavyweight Champion Scotty Riggs
kept his title via disqualification against Barry Windham. The sixth and final match was an "ECW vs. TCW" match in which Steve Corino and Jack Victory
took on father and son Dusty and Dustin Rhodes.
On January 26, 2002, Dustin Rhodes defeated Scotty Riggs to win TCW Heavyweight Championship but surrendered the title the following day with the announcement that he would be returning to WWE as a full-time competitor. Dustin wrestled a few last matches before leaving TCW. The first, on February 2, was a 6-man tag team TLC match with his father Dusty and Ron Studd
against Scotty Riggs, Jason Sugarman and an impostor Goldust. A second match took place days later in Carrollton and resulted in a victory over Steve Corino. His third and last match was against Scotty Riggs who defeated him for the TCW Heavyweight Championship in Carrollton on March 1. With this victory, Riggs became a record 3-time heavyweight champion.
In July 2003, Rhodes appeared alongside sports director
Mike Raita on the Paul Finebaum
Radio Network and discussed both his wrestling career and Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling. However, partially due to declining business as well as increased competition from WWE, forced Rhodes to close the promotion shortly after The Dusty 35th Anniversary Tour that same year. The announcement followed after Rhodes signed a contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
.
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....
independent professional wrestling promotion
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...
based in Marietta, Georgia
Marietta, Georgia
Marietta is a city located in central Cobb County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat.As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 56,579, making it one of metro Atlanta's largest suburbs...
. It was founded by retired wrestler and former NWA World Heavyweight Champion
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...
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...
in 2000 and, during its three years in operation, held events throughout the Southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
in 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...
, 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...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
; it was especially popular in Atlanta, Georgia and Dothan, Alabama
Dothan, Alabama
Dothan is a city located in the southeastern corner of the US state of Alabama, situated approximately west of the Georgia state line and north of Florida. It is the seat of Houston County, with portions extending into nearby Dale County and Henry County...
where the promotion regularly held events. TCW also cooperated with rival independent promotions by holding interpromotional shows with Florida Championship Wrestling. The promotion, at its height, had a successful weekly television series in the Atlanta-Macon, Georgia
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
area and had planned to air one live pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
event before its close in 2003.
TCW later became home to many high-profile wrestlers after the close of 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...
, and later Extreme Championship Wrestling, in 2001. Among the former WCW roster included Sean Evans, Disco Inferno
Glenn Gilberti
Glenn Gilbertti is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling as Disco Inferno. He is also a former road agent for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling....
, David Flair
David Flair
David Richard Fliehr better known by his ring name David Flair is a professional wrestler best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling , where he held the United States and World Tag Team championships...
, Lodi
Brad Cain
Bradley "Brad" Cain is an American professional wrestler, author and personal trainer, better known by his ring name, Lodi...
, Daffney Glacier
Ray Lloyd
Raymond M. Lloyd is an American martial artist, professional wrestler, and actor. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling in the late 1990s under the ring name Glacier.-Early life:...
, Ron Reis
Ron Reis
Ronald Allen "Ron" Reis is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling in the late 1990s as The Yeti and Reese.-World Championship Wrestling :...
, Sonny Siaki
Sonny Siaki
Sonny Siaki is a retired American professional wrestler. Unlike many Samoans in professional wrestling, he is not part of the large Anoa'i or Fatu family.-Early life:...
, Scotty Riggs
Scott Antol
Scott Antol is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling under the ring names Scotty Riggs and Scotty Anton, respectively....
, Larry Zbyszko
Larry Zbyszko
Lawrence "Larry" Whistler is a professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Larry Zbyszko. Zbyszko is perhaps best known for his feud with his mentor, wrestling legend Bruno Sammartino during the early 1980s....
, Scott Hall
Scott Hall
Scott Hall is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure with the World Wrestling Federation in the early and mid 1990s under the ring name Razor Ramon, as well as for his period in the mid 1990s and early 2000s with World Championship Wrestling under his real name...
, and The Public Enemy
The Public Enemy (professional wrestling)
The Public Enemy was a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Rocco Rock and Johnny Grunge. The duo competed in many promotions, including Extreme Championship Wrestling , World Championship Wrestling , National Wrestling Alliance , and the World Wrestling Federation...
(Rocco Rock
Rocco Rock
Theodore James Petty was an American professional wrestler better known as "Flyboy" Rocco Rock, one half of The Public Enemy.-Career:...
& Johnny Grunge
Johnny Grunge
Michael "Mike" Durham was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Johnny Grunge...
), all of whom would win championship titles. His son Dustin Rhodes, who at the time was also wrestling for the World Wrestling Entertainment
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...
as Goldust, also had a central role in the promotion and briefly held the TCW Heavyweight Championship in early 2002.
From ECW, Yoshihiro Tajiri
Yoshihiro Tajiri
, is a Japanese professional wrestler, perhaps best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment. He is currently competing in SMASH as TAJIRI.-Early years :...
and Super Crazy
Super Crazy
Francisco Islas Rueda is a Mexican professional wrestler, or Luchador, best known by his ring name Super Crazy. Islas is most known for his three year run in the original ECW...
continued their long-running feud. The "heel stable
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
" The Extreme Horsemen was formed by ex-ECW stars Steve Corino
Steve Corino
Steven Eugene "Steve" Corino is a Canadian professional wrestler, who currently works for Pro Wrestling Zero1, Ring of Honor and numerous other independent promotions. Corino is a former NWA World Heavyweight Champion and ECW World Heavyweight Champion.-Early years :Corino began wrestling in 1994...
, 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 ....
and C.W. Anderson
C.W. Anderson
Chris Wright is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name, C.W. Anderson. He is best known for his time with Extreme Championship Wrestling.-Early life:...
. Windham's brother, Kendall
Kendall Windham
Kendall Windham is a former professional wrestler. He is the son of Blackjack Mulligan and the brother of Barry Windham.-Florida Championship Wrestling:...
, also made occasional appearances for the promotion.
Older stars such as father and son "Bullet" Bob
Bob Armstrong
Joseph Melton James is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Bullet" Bob Armstrong. In the course of his career, which spanned five decades, Armstrong held numerous championships throughout the Southeastern United States...
and Scott Armstrong, Manny Fernandez
Manny Fernandez (wrestler)
Emanuel "Manny" Fernandez is an American professional wrestler currently wrestling for different independent promotions. He is best known by the his ring name "The Raging Bull" Manny Fernandez.-Professional wrestling career:...
, Bobby Eaton
Bobby Eaton
Robert Lee "Bobby" Eaton is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, who made his debut in 1976. Eaton is most famous for his work in tag teams, especially his days as one-half of the team the Midnight Express. Under the management of Jim Cornette, Eaton originally teamed with Dennis...
, Ricky Morton
Ricky Morton
Richard Wendell "Ricky" Morton is an American professional wrestler who has worked for such wrestling organizations as Jim Crockett Promotions, the American Wrestling Association, Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation and Total Nonstop Action...
, female wrestlers Leilani Kai
Leilani Kai
Patricia Schroeder , better known by her stage name Leilani Kai, is a semi-retired professional wrestler. She began training with The Fabulous Moolah right after finishing high school...
, Malia Hosaka
Malia Hosaka
Malia Hosaka is an American professional wrestler. She is a former NWA World Women's Champion.-Career:Malia Hosaka was trained by Killer Kowalski at the wrestling training camp run by Misty Blue Simmes...
and Kim Neilson
Kim Neilson
Kim Neilson is an American professional wrestler and valet best known for working in World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as Desire.-Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling:...
, and independent wrestlers Jorge Estrada, Jason Sugarman and Steve "The Brawler" Lawler
Steve Lawler (wrestler)
Steve Gowen , better known by his ring name Steve "The Brawler" Lawler, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler and trainer...
were part of the roster as well. Damian Steele, one-half of Ebony & Ivory with Ray Gordy
Ray Gordy
Terry Ray Gordy, Jr. is an American professional wrestler best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment appearing on its SmackDown brand under the ring names Jesse and Slam Master J...
in Deep South Wrestling, got his start in Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling. Erik Watts
Erik Watts
Erik Watts is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling in the early 1990s. He is the son of legendary wrestler "Cowboy" Bill Watts.-Debut:...
and Chad Fortune
Chad Fortune
Chad Fortune is a monster truck driver, former professional football player and former professional wrestler in both WWF and WCW.-Football career:Fortune played tight end at the University of Louisville from 1986-1989...
, who previously teamed together in the World Wrestling Federation
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...
as Tekno Team 2000
Tekno Team 2000
Tekno Team 2000 was a professional wrestling tag team that competed in the World Wrestling Federation from 1995 to 1996. The team was composed of Troy and Travis . Although the team started off with a strong push from the WWF, they did not continue their initial success...
, also competed in the promotion.
History
Dusty Rhodes began plans for organizing a new promotion based in his home state of Georgia in 1999, later establishing offices in East Cobb County, GeorgiaCobb County, Georgia
Cobb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its county seat and largest city is Marietta, which is located in the center of the county. The county was named for Thomas Willis Cobb, who in the early 19th century was a United States representative and senator from Georgia...
. It would be, said Rhodes, a southern promotion that was "old school but with modern ideas". Early the next year, he started promoting local wrestling events in Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee as part of "The American Dream Tour 2000". The first official event held by TCW took place in Ashburn, Georgia
Ashburn, Georgia
Ashburn is a city in, and the county seat of, Turner County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,419 at the 2000 census.The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 9,898. Ashburn's government is classified as a "council/manager" form of municipal government. The City Manager of Ashburn...
on July 6, 2000, and crowned its first heavyweight champion, Glacier
Ray Lloyd
Raymond M. Lloyd is an American martial artist, professional wrestler, and actor. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling in the late 1990s under the ring name Glacier.-Early life:...
, defeating Jorge Estrada in tournament final. Rhodes, who had previous experience as a booker and television producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
for Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions
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 and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...
and 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...
, was able to get a television show aired in Atlanta and Macon, Georgia
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
and soon began negotiating with the Sunshine Network
Sun Sports
Sun Sports is a Florida sports broadcasting network, with its headquarters in Orlando. Launched in 1988 as Sunshine Network, the station is now affiliated with virtually every cable company throughout the state of Florida and can be picked up by some satellite providers around the United...
hoping to build on the traditional wrestling fanbase in the Southern, Gulf Coast and Mid-Atlantic region.
In early 2001, the closings of 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...
and Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
resulted in the appearance of many of its former stars in TCW. Sean "Shocker" Evans, a trainer at the WCW Power Plant
WCW Power Plant
The WCW Power Plant was a professional wrestling school located in Atlanta, Georgia and owned and operated by World Championship Wrestling. The Power Plant, which was developed from a school operated by Jody Hamilton, was in operation throughout the 1990s...
, joined the promotion early on and helped bring in several former WCW stars. One of these was former manager/valet Daffney whose ex-husband, Rich Ward
Rich Ward
Richard Park "Rich" Ward is an American guitarist, also known by his stage name, "The Duke". Ward is best known as a founding member of Stuck Mojo, a popular and influential underground rap-metal band of the 1990s, but he is also known as lead guitarist of heavy metal band Fozzy.-Early life:Ward...
, was a friend of Evans. She was one of four female wrestlers who competed for the promotion, the others being Kim Neilson
Kim Neilson
Kim Neilson is an American professional wrestler and valet best known for working in World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as Desire.-Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling:...
, Leilani Kai
Leilani Kai
Patricia Schroeder , better known by her stage name Leilani Kai, is a semi-retired professional wrestler. She began training with The Fabulous Moolah right after finishing high school...
and Malia Hosaka
Malia Hosaka
Malia Hosaka is an American professional wrestler. She is a former NWA World Women's Champion.-Career:Malia Hosaka was trained by Killer Kowalski at the wrestling training camp run by Misty Blue Simmes...
.
A house show in Winchester, Tennessee
Winchester, Tennessee
Winchester is a city in and the county seat of Franklin County, Tennessee, United States. It is part of the Tullahoma, Tennessee Micropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
on February 17, later released on VHS, featured former ECW stars Yoshihiro Tajiri
Yoshihiro Tajiri
, is a Japanese professional wrestler, perhaps best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment. He is currently competing in SMASH as TAJIRI.-Early years :...
and Super Crazy
Super Crazy
Francisco Islas Rueda is a Mexican professional wrestler, or Luchador, best known by his ring name Super Crazy. Islas is most known for his three year run in the original ECW...
, WCW veterans Ron Reis
Ron Reis
Ronald Allen "Ron" Reis is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling in the late 1990s as The Yeti and Reese.-World Championship Wrestling :...
, Glacier
Ray Lloyd
Raymond M. Lloyd is an American martial artist, professional wrestler, and actor. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling in the late 1990s under the ring name Glacier.-Early life:...
, Scott Anton
Scott Antol
Scott Antol is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling under the ring names Scotty Riggs and Scotty Anton, respectively....
and, in the main event, a tag team match between Dusty Rhodes and 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 ....
against Erik Watts
Erik Watts
Erik Watts is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling in the early 1990s. He is the son of legendary wrestler "Cowboy" Bill Watts.-Debut:...
and Steve Corino
Steve Corino
Steven Eugene "Steve" Corino is a Canadian professional wrestler, who currently works for Pro Wrestling Zero1, Ring of Honor and numerous other independent promotions. Corino is a former NWA World Heavyweight Champion and ECW World Heavyweight Champion.-Early years :Corino began wrestling in 1994...
. Female wrestlers Leilani Kai
Leilani Kai
Patricia Schroeder , better known by her stage name Leilani Kai, is a semi-retired professional wrestler. She began training with The Fabulous Moolah right after finishing high school...
and Malia Hosaka
Malia Hosaka
Malia Hosaka is an American professional wrestler. She is a former NWA World Women's Champion.-Career:Malia Hosaka was trained by Killer Kowalski at the wrestling training camp run by Misty Blue Simmes...
also participated in an exhibition match. The next night in Carrollton, Georgia
Carrollton, Georgia
Carrollton is a city in West Georgia, United States, in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 24,388...
featured a "Rookies" Battle Royal, showcasing the younger up-and-coming wrestlers in the promotion, and Dusty Rhodes with a mystery partner in a tag team match against Erik Watts and Steve "The Brawler" Lawler
Steve Lawler (wrestler)
Steve Gowen , better known by his ring name Steve "The Brawler" Lawler, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler and trainer...
. On March 3, Scott "The Clap" Anton
Scott Antol
Scott Antol is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling under the ring names Scotty Riggs and Scotty Anton, respectively....
and "The Extreme Dream" Erik Watts
Erik Watts
Erik Watts is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling in the early 1990s. He is the son of legendary wrestler "Cowboy" Bill Watts.-Debut:...
became the first TCW Tag Team Champions defeating Glacier and Jorge Estrada in Dothan, Alabama.
In April, Rhodes announced that the promotion would be airing its first PPV event that fall, originally on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
night in 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...
, and that TCW would also be airing on television. The series, Rhodes claimed, would feature regular TV appearances by some of the more recognizable wrestlers in professional wrestling, most notably, his son Dustin Rhodes. Scott Hall
Scott Hall
Scott Hall is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure with the World Wrestling Federation in the early and mid 1990s under the ring name Razor Ramon, as well as for his period in the mid 1990s and early 2000s with World Championship Wrestling under his real name...
also joined the promotion and made his official in-ring debut at a special house show in Dothan on May 12.
On June 16 in Calhoun, Georgia
Calhoun, Georgia
Calhoun is a city in Gordon County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 15,650. The city is the county seat of Gordon County.-Geography:Calhoun is located at , along the Oostanaula River....
, Larry Zbyszko
Larry Zbyszko
Lawrence "Larry" Whistler is a professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Larry Zbyszko. Zbyszko is perhaps best known for his feud with his mentor, wrestling legend Bruno Sammartino during the early 1980s....
made an appearance to take on Dusty Rhodes in the main event. Though starting off as a singles match, it was turned into a tag team match following outside interference by Luther Biggs
Luther Biggs
Luther Biggs is an American professional wrestler, also known by his ring name Disgraceland, who has competed in North American independent promotions including the United States Wrestling Association, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and had a short stint in World Championship Wrestling during the...
and "Cowboy" Bobby Hayes. The match was eventually won by Rhodes and Hayes. The promotion also continued to hold regular monthly shows at the Houston County Farm Center in Dothan, Alabama
Dothan, Alabama
Dothan is a city located in the southeastern corner of the US state of Alabama, situated approximately west of the Georgia state line and north of Florida. It is the seat of Houston County, with portions extending into nearby Dale County and Henry County...
between July and December 2001.
The next month, Rhodes teamed with his son Dustin, then making his TCW debut less than three days after his WCW contract expired, at a Dothan house show on August 4. Together they faced C.W. Anderson
C.W. Anderson
Chris Wright is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name, C.W. Anderson. He is best known for his time with Extreme Championship Wrestling.-Early life:...
and the masked wrestler American Nightmare in the main event. Dustin Rhodes was highly supportive of TCW as he explained in an August 2001 interview with Greg Oliver, "TCW is the alternative to the World Wrestling Federation. To me in my mind, my opinion, and my dad's opinion, we are the World Wrestling Federation's competition. We are not an independent, we are a company. We want to be treated as one. So we're going to do everything we can to make it a respectable, family entertainment business."
Having begun holding events in Florida that year, Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling began branching out to rival promotions. Among these was NWA Florida, a promotion Rhodes' himself competed earlier in his career, and two of their stars, Jason Sugarman and Jorge Estrada, appeared at the August 21st NWA Florida show at the Fort Homer W. Hesterly Armory in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
. Their match was to fill in for Cyborg and Horace Hogan
Horace Hogan
Michael Bollea is an American professional wrestler. In wrestling, he is best known by his ring name, Horace Hogan. He is the nephew of professional wrestler Hulk Hogan and cousin of the late Mike Awesome....
, both men having been injured. Steve Corino, then NWA World Heavyweight Champion
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...
, defended the title in the main event against "Iceman" Buck Quartermaine
Jason Seguine
Jason Seguine is an American professional wrestler and former football player, known by his ringname Buck Quartermain, who competes in Southeastern regional promotions including Independent Pro Wrestling and the National Wrestling Alliance-affiliated NWA Florida...
. NWA Florida stars Buck Quartermain and The New Heavenly Bodies
The Heavenly Bodies
The Heavenly Bodies was a professional wrestling tag team famous for having worked in Smoky Mountain Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation, and various independent promotions...
(Vito DeNucci and Chris Nelson) would appear at TCW house shows in late August. A secondary title, the TCW Hardcore Championship, was established when Lodi
Brad Cain
Bradley "Brad" Cain is an American professional wrestler, author and personal trainer, better known by his ring name, Lodi...
defeated "Raging Bull" Manny Fernandez
Manny Fernandez (wrestler)
Emanuel "Manny" Fernandez is an American professional wrestler currently wrestling for different independent promotions. He is best known by the his ring name "The Raging Bull" Manny Fernandez.-Professional wrestling career:...
in Carrollton, Georgia on September 15.
The promotion held its first television taping, TCW Halloween Horror Slam I, which was later released on VHS. It featured the tag team of Bobby Eaton
Bobby Eaton
Robert Lee "Bobby" Eaton is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, who made his debut in 1976. Eaton is most famous for his work in tag teams, especially his days as one-half of the team the Midnight Express. Under the management of Jim Cornette, Eaton originally teamed with Dennis...
and Ricky Morton
Ricky Morton
Richard Wendell "Ricky" Morton is an American professional wrestler who has worked for such wrestling organizations as Jim Crockett Promotions, the American Wrestling Association, Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation and Total Nonstop Action...
, the two men having experienced a fierce rivalry during the 1980s as members of The Midnight Express and The Rock 'n' Roll Express respectively, in the semi-main event against Erik Watts
Erik Watts
Erik Watts is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling in the early 1990s. He is the son of legendary wrestler "Cowboy" Bill Watts.-Debut:...
and Chad Fortune
Chad Fortune
Chad Fortune is a monster truck driver, former professional football player and former professional wrestler in both WWF and WCW.-Football career:Fortune played tight end at the University of Louisville from 1986-1989...
. Watts and Fortune had previously teamed together in the World Wrestling Federation
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...
during the 1990s as Tekno Team 2000
Tekno Team 2000
Tekno Team 2000 was a professional wrestling tag team that competed in the World Wrestling Federation from 1995 to 1996. The team was composed of Troy and Travis . Although the team started off with a strong push from the WWF, they did not continue their initial success...
. In the main event, Glacier defended the TCW Heavyweight Championship against Barry Windham.
On December 28, 2001, TCW and NWA Florida held an interpromotional event at the Volusia County Fairgrounds
Volusia County Fair and Expo Center
The Volusia County Fair and Expo Center is a combination fairgrounds and convention center located in DeLand, Florida. It consists of two indoor arenas and two exhibit halls:-The arenas:...
in DeLand, Florida
DeLand, Florida
DeLand is the county seat of Volusia County, Florida. In 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population to be 24,375. It is part of the Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 436,575 in 2006...
. In singles matches, Lex Lovett
Lex Lovett
Wayne Meyer is an American professional wrestler, known by his ringname Lex Lovett, who competes in Southeastern independent promotions such as Independent Pro Wrestling and the National Wrestling Alliance-affiliated NWA Florida as well as having toured the Middle East, Europe and Asia.From 2003...
defeated Steve Madison
Steve Madison
Steven Philip Favata is an American professional wrestler, known by his ringname "Modern Miracle" Steve Madison, who competes in Southeastern independent promotions including AWA World-1 South, Full Impact Pro, Future of Wrestling, NWA Florida and Dusty Rhodes' Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling...
, Jorge Estrada defeated Luther Biggs and Buck Quartermaine defeated Spanky Malone. In a match lasting over 30 minutes, TCW's Glacier and Jason Sugarman won the NWA World Tag Team Championship
NWA World Tag Team Championship
The National Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Championship is the professional wrestling world tag team championship within the NWA framework.-History:...
from The New Heavenly Bodies. In the semi-main event, TCW Heavyweight Champion Scotty Riggs
Scott Antol
Scott Antol is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling under the ring names Scotty Riggs and Scotty Anton, respectively....
kept his title via disqualification against Barry Windham. The sixth and final match was an "ECW vs. TCW" match in which Steve Corino and Jack Victory
Jack Victory
Kenneth "Ken" Rinehurst is an American professional wrestler and manager, better known by his ring name, Jack Victory. He is perhaps best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling between 1998 and 2001.-Career:Rinehurst debuted in 1985 in the Universal Wrestling Federation...
took on father and son Dusty and Dustin Rhodes.
On January 26, 2002, Dustin Rhodes defeated Scotty Riggs to win TCW Heavyweight Championship but surrendered the title the following day with the announcement that he would be returning to WWE as a full-time competitor. Dustin wrestled a few last matches before leaving TCW. The first, on February 2, was a 6-man tag team TLC match with his father Dusty and Ron Studd
Ron Reis
Ronald Allen "Ron" Reis is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling in the late 1990s as The Yeti and Reese.-World Championship Wrestling :...
against Scotty Riggs, Jason Sugarman and an impostor Goldust. A second match took place days later in Carrollton and resulted in a victory over Steve Corino. His third and last match was against Scotty Riggs who defeated him for the TCW Heavyweight Championship in Carrollton on March 1. With this victory, Riggs became a record 3-time heavyweight champion.
In July 2003, Rhodes appeared alongside sports director
Sports Director
A sports director is an individual at a television or radio station who is in charge of the sports department. In local news, the sports director is typically the station's primary sportscaster, and often anchors the primetime newscasts on weekdays. They are in charge of sports programming and...
Mike Raita on the Paul Finebaum
Paul Finebaum
Paul Finebaum is an American sports author, television and radio personality and former columnist based in Birmingham, Alabama. His primary focus is sports, particularly those in the Southeast. Finebaum was born in Memphis, Tennessee and attended the University of Tennessee, where he received a...
Radio Network and discussed both his wrestling career and Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling. However, partially due to declining business as well as increased competition from WWE, forced Rhodes to close the promotion shortly after The Dusty 35th Anniversary Tour that same year. The announcement followed after Rhodes signed a contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
.
Singles roster
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Glenn Gilberti Glenn Gilbertti is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling as Disco Inferno. He is also a former road agent for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.... Yoshihiro Tajiri , is a Japanese professional wrestler, perhaps best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment. He is currently competing in SMASH as TAJIRI.-Early years :... Super Crazy Francisco Islas Rueda is a Mexican professional wrestler, or Luchador, best known by his ring name Super Crazy. Islas is most known for his three year run in the original ECW... Steve Corino Steven Eugene "Steve" Corino is a Canadian professional wrestler, who currently works for Pro Wrestling Zero1, Ring of Honor and numerous other independent promotions. Corino is a former NWA World Heavyweight Champion and ECW World Heavyweight Champion.-Early years :Corino began wrestling in 1994... C.W. Anderson Chris Wright is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name, C.W. Anderson. He is best known for his time with Extreme Championship Wrestling.-Early life:... Bob Armstrong Joseph Melton James is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Bullet" Bob Armstrong. In the course of his career, which spanned five decades, Armstrong held numerous championships throughout the Southeastern United States... 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 .... Kendall Windham Kendall Windham is a former professional wrestler. He is the son of Blackjack Mulligan and the brother of Barry Windham.-Florida Championship Wrestling:... Manny Fernandez (wrestler) Emanuel "Manny" Fernandez is an American professional wrestler currently wrestling for different independent promotions. He is best known by the his ring name "The Raging Bull" Manny Fernandez.-Professional wrestling career:... |
Steve Lawler (wrestler) Steve Gowen , better known by his ring name Steve "The Brawler" Lawler, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler and trainer... |
Kim Neilson Kim Neilson is an American professional wrestler and valet best known for working in World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as Desire.-Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling:... Leilani Kai Patricia Schroeder , better known by her stage name Leilani Kai, is a semi-retired professional wrestler. She began training with The Fabulous Moolah right after finishing high school... Malia Hosaka Malia Hosaka is an American professional wrestler. She is a former NWA World Women's Champion.-Career:Malia Hosaka was trained by Killer Kowalski at the wrestling training camp run by Misty Blue Simmes... Selina Majors Selina Majors , better known by her stage name Bambi, is an American professional wrestler.-Early career:Majors debuted as a professional wrestler in 1986 working for David McLane. She competed in his nationally televised professional women's wrestling league, Powerful Women of Wrestling as Bambi... |
Tag team roster
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Bobby Eaton Robert Lee "Bobby" Eaton is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, who made his debut in 1976. Eaton is most famous for his work in tag teams, especially his days as one-half of the team the Midnight Express. Under the management of Jim Cornette, Eaton originally teamed with Dennis... & Ricky Morton Ricky Morton Richard Wendell "Ricky" Morton is an American professional wrestler who has worked for such wrestling organizations as Jim Crockett Promotions, the American Wrestling Association, Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation and Total Nonstop Action... The Public Enemy (professional wrestling) The Public Enemy was a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Rocco Rock and Johnny Grunge. The duo competed in many promotions, including Extreme Championship Wrestling , World Championship Wrestling , National Wrestling Alliance , and the World Wrestling Federation... |
Championships
- TCW Heavyweight ChampionshipTCW Heavyweight ChampionshipThe TCW Heavyweight Championship was the primary professional wrestling singles title of Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling. It was originally won by Glacier who defeated Jorge Estrada in tournament final held in Ashburn, Georgia on July 6, 2000...
- TCW Hardcore ChampionshipTCW Hardcore ChampionshipThe TCW Hardcore Championship was the secondary professional wrestling singles title of Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling. It was first won by Lodi after defeating "Raging Bull" Manny Fernandez in Carrollton, Georgia on September 18, 2001...
- TCW Tag Team ChampionshipTCW Tag Team ChampionshipThe TCW Tag Team Championship was the primary professional wrestling tag team title of Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling. It was originally won by Scott Anton & Erik Watts who defeated Glacier & Jorge Estrada, coincidentally opponents for the TCW Heavyweight Championship, in Dothan, Alabama on...
Further reading
- Rhodes, DustyDusty 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...
and Howard Brody. Dusty: Reflections of an American Dream. Champaign, Illinois: Sports Publishing LLC, 2005. ISBN 1-58261-907-7