|
|
Post by RowdyRoddy on Nov 6, 2006 11:42:33 GMT -5
In 1985, Jim Crockett Jr. began his "raid" of the NWA territories (Georgia, St. Louis, Kansas City, Florida, Mid-South) which did not end until 1987. Ric Flair left the AWA in 1974 and began wrestling for Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling/World Wide Wrestling/Jim Crockett Promotions. In the 1970s and 1980s, we had several NWA World Champions - Gene Kiniski, Terry Funk, Dory Funk, The Giant Baba, Tommy Rich, Harley Race, Dusty Rhodes, Jack Brisco, Ric Flair, Kerry Von Erich, etc.
In 1983, Crockett put on Starrcade '83, but aside from Scott McGhee, Kevin Sullivan, Mark Lewin, Carlos Colon, and Abdullah the Butcher, all the wrestlers were JCP wrestlers. Why didn't Crockett work with Georgia, World Class (WCCW had the best professional wrestling during the autumn of 1983 hands down), Mid South, Portland, Calgary, Toronto, Florida, etc? His supercard held on November 24th, 1983 could have exposed wrestling fans around the country and around the world (instead of Japan, Puerto Rico, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina) to great professional wrestling.
In 1984, Crockett put on Starrcade '84 in Greensboro. This was his chance to put one over on McMahon who was only four or five months away from WrestleMania 1. Crockett could have worked with other NWA promoters to put on a wrestling supercard. Most of the talent at Starrcade '84 was Mid-Atlantic talent.
In 1985, Ric Flair was the NWA World Champion. If the champion was Kerry Von Erich, Harley Race, or someone else, would that territory's promoter have held on to him and prevented him from wrestling in other territories as champ.
For years, I thought that WCCW left the NWA in February 1986 because of some DQ rule. However, Fritz left the NWA because Flair would not come to Dallas or Fort Worth to wrestle Gino Hernandez, Chris Adams, Terry Gordy, Iceman Parsons, Kerry Von Erich, or Kevin Von Erich.
Thoughts?
|
|
|
|
Post by dogthuhoops2k on Nov 6, 2006 20:59:32 GMT -5
I am probably not the best one to answer this as there are plenty of people on this board who are far more knowledgeable about this than I am, but I'll give it a stab. Guys correct me where I'm wrong.
geez where to start? lol
In 1983, Crockett put on Starrcade '83, but aside from Scott McGhee, Kevin Sullivan, Mark Lewin, Carlos Colon, and Abdullah the Butcher, all the wrestlers were JCP wrestlers. Why didn't Crockett work with Georgia, World Class (WCCW had the best professional wrestling during the autumn of 1983 hands down), Mid South, Portland, Calgary, Toronto, Florida, etc? His supercard held on November 24th, 1983 could have exposed wrestling fans around the country and around the world (instead of Japan, Puerto Rico, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina) to great professional wrestling.
While true Lewin, Sullivan, and McGhee (one of my personal favs) were better known for their Florida work, they did wrestle for about 4 to 6 months in MACW before Starrcade. Fans here knew who they were. Abduallah was a Georgia mainstay for a long time. Colon was the only one that fans in MACW might not have known too much about. But certainly Florida and Puerto Rico knew him. In hindsight, it was a pretty good feat that JCP was able to get a working agreement with Florida, Japan, and PR.
Keep in mind, there were thoughts of national expansion by a lot of promoters. Working with some of the other NWA promotions you listed might not have been a good idea business wise.
Quite frankly, from what I read, very few of the NWA promoters trusted each other and probably with good reason. The NWA seemed like a loose confederation of booking offices that were in 83...maybe as far back as 80... jockeying for position and trying to stay a float. It didnt look that way to us at the time, because they hid it well from the public/fans but most of the territories were in trouble.
Also working with that many different promotions is a logistical nightmare even if everybody is on the level.
Looking at the logistics of such an idea, then the money it would cost... keep in mind we are talking closed circuit, not PPV, two totally different entities... to put it around the country... On THANKSGIVING NIGHT... (that might fly in the Carolinas and Atlanta where they were used to big T-day cards, but Portland?) Big Gamble. And keeping in mind the financial trouble of some of these places...(Its business all business) why put up with the headaches when you can be successful with Starrcade.
I have to disagree about WCCW being the best of Autumn of 83, that's your opinion and you are certainly welcome to it. But, I thought 1983 was one of Crockett's best years. WCCW might've had a larger roster and the Von Erichs were certainly hot, but none of those guys imo were better than Piper, Flair. Valentine, Steamboat, Briscos, Slater, Orton, Race, Valiant, with a strong undercard of guys.
In 1984, Crockett put on Starrcade '84 in Greensboro. This was his chance to put one over on McMahon who was only four or five months away from WrestleMania 1. Crockett could have worked with other NWA promoters to put on a wrestling supercard. Most of the talent at Starrcade '84 was Mid-Atlantic talent.
Again I go back to what I said previously. By Starcade 84, it was a dog eat dog world in the NWA and the writing was on the wall. The NWA as a confederation of promotions was doomed. Ships were starting to take in water and fast. It was a lot easier for the WWE to pull off Wrestlemania I than it would've been for the NWA to do the same for one very big reason. Vince was the boss. There wasnt a league of promoters to deal with as they all jockied for position to get their top dog over (who in a few months would be in the WWF anyway). With Vince, there was non of that foolishness to worry about. Somebody was gonna take the NWA and turn it into a one-company-promotion, and Crockett did it. You can argue Bill Watts was in a better position to do so, maybe yes...maybe no. But the NWA as league of promotions was essentially a dead idea.
In 1985, Ric Flair was the NWA World Champion. If the champion was Kerry Von Erich, Harley Race, or someone else, would that territory's promoter have held on to him and prevented him from wrestling in other territories as champ.
If they thought they could get away with it...they might've tried that. But to what use. Anybody can steal a belt or try and pull a fast one on the champ, but who does it really hurt or help? The whole point of having a world champ is to get your local guy(s) over and make money off the title match. At least that was the basic premise as I see it, in the territory days. If someone monopolized the world champion, the other promotional area(s) would've probably just came up with their own champion so you'd end up with a WCCW world champ, an MACW world champ, a Georgia world champ, and so forth. It almost came to that as Crockett was to have thought about pulling from the NWA around Starrcade 83 or so, if he couldn t get control of it.
For years, I thought that WCCW left the NWA in February 1986 because of some DQ rule. However, Fritz left the NWA because Flair would not come to Dallas or Fort Worth to wrestle Gino Hernandez, Chris Adams, Terry Gordy, Iceman Parsons, Kerry Von Erich, or Kevin Von Erich.
The NWA was becoming less of a league of promotions and more of a single company promotion in 1986. I am sure that teed Fritz off, but Fritz would've probably done the same thing if he could've. I think all of them would have.
Its all business.
Dogs
|
|
|
|
Post by RowdyRoddy on Nov 7, 2006 10:13:23 GMT -5
Very good point. Professional wrestling might be very different today had Race been champ in early 1984 or had Von Erich been able to keep the belt longer than three weeks. Crockett Jr. controlled Flair's booking even though Geigel was the NWA President.
|
|
|
|
Post by RowdyRoddy on Nov 8, 2006 17:05:05 GMT -5
"I have to disagree about WCCW being the best of Autumn of 83, that's your opinion and you are certainly welcome to it. But, I thought 1983 was one of Crockett's best years. WCCW might've had a larger roster and the Von Erichs were certainly hot, but none of those guys imo were better than Piper, Flair. Valentine, Steamboat, Briscos, Slater, Orton, Race, Valiant, with a strong undercard of guys."
I strongly believe that WCCW had the stronger talent roster from September 1983 - December 1983. I agree that Orton, Slater, Valiant, Valentine, Piper, McDaniel, Flair, Steamboat, Youngblood, and the Briscos drew fans but it cannot compare with Garvin, Hayes, Roberts, Gordy, Kerry, David, Kevin, Adams, Super Destroyers, Parsons, Kamala, etc. Just my opinion.
|
|
