Don Owen (Wrestling Promoter)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Don Owen (1912-2002) was a professional wrestling promoter working out of Portland, Oregon.
Born in Eugene, Oregon to boxing/wrestling promoter Herb Owen, Don and his brother Elton began working in the family business in the mid 1920s, selling popcorn and drinks to the audience. In time Don moved more and more into the promoting side, eventually taking over completely after his father died in 1951. His career as a promoter spanned over 60 years throughout the heyday of Territorial pro wrestling.
Under his management, Pacific Northwest Wrestling became one of the leaders of the National Wrestling Alliance, the chief reason being Don Owen's reputation as the best payoff promoter in the wrestling business. Owen dealt fairly with all his wrestlers, paying them exactly what he promised and never trying to stiff them, a mentality not shared with the vast majority of his fellow promoters. Because of this, every major star in the 1960s and '70s wished to wrestle in the Northwest. Among those who wrestled and/or got their start under Don Owen's management are Stan Stasiak, Dizzy Hogan, Curt Hennig, Mad Dog Vachon, Nick Bockwinkel, Jesse Ventura, Roddy Piper, Billy Jack Haynes, Omar Atlas, Shag Thomas, Dutch Savage, Lonnie "Moondog" Mayne, Jimmy Snuka and George Wagner (in the years before he attained international fame as Gorgeous George).
In 1948 Don Owen negotiated a deal with pioneering Portland TV station KPTV to become the very first wrestling show seen on TV in the city. Portland Wrestling (a.k.a. Big Time Wrestling) continued as a weekly program until the show ended production in December 1991, possibly setting a record as the longest lasting wrestling show in the history of American television.
Finally in July 1992, facing increasing health problems from age, overwhelming competition from the World Wrestling Federation (whose promoter, Vince McMahon, had been successfully driving the old wrestling "territories" out of existence) and World Championship Wrestling (the WWF's chief competitor), and unrelenting problems from an overzealous Oregon State Athletic Commission, Don Owen was forced to shut down PNW's operations and retire, living in quiet retirement until his death in 2002.
