Jim Crockett Promotions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jim Crockett Promotions
Details
Acronym JCP
Established 1931
Folded 1988
Style American Wrestling (Southern variant)
Rasslin
Location Charlotte, North Carolina
Dallas, Texas
Founder(s) Jim Crockett
Owner(s) Jim Crockett, Jr.

Jim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. up until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling (WCW).

Contents

[edit] Early history

In 1931, Jim Crockett, Sr. began promoting wrestling from his homebase of Charlotte, North Carolina (though his first shows were in eastern Tennessee). It must be noted that the often-quoted "1935" date as the debut for Jim Crockett Promotions was created so that the company could celebrate its "50th Anniversary" (which apparently had a better ring to it than the true 54th anniversary for some reason) in 1985 after JCP garnered a national cable TV deal on Ted Turner's cable network SuperStation TBS.

Crockett also promoted other events (including musical concerts, theatrical plays, and minor league baseball and hockey) under the banner of Jim Crockett Promotions (with the company being officially incorporated as Jim Crockett Promotions in the 1950s).

[edit] 1970s

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."

In 1973, Jim Crockett Promotions, Inc. was handed over to Jim Crockett, Jr. 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). The "World Wide" brand was used concurrently with the "Mid-Atlantic" brand.

The elder Crockett joined the National Wrestling Alliance in 1952, and his territory covered Virginia, North and South Carolina. He would promote shows in this region for 38 years until his death in 1973, when his son, Jim Crockett, Jr. (known to many fans simply as Jim Crockett), took over.

[edit] Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling

Headed by the younger Crockett, and under the guidance of a new creative force, former wrestler George Scott, 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, N.C.; Greenville, S.C.; and High Point, N.C. 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).

[edit] 1970s

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 legendary announcers like Big Bill Ward (from WBTV in Charlotte) and Charlie Harville (at WHGP 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 & Sandy Scott, and Dr. Tom Miller. The team of Rich Landrum & Johnny Weaver is perhaps the best remembered team to host this program 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, Ohio 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.

[edit] 1980s

In 1980, Jim Crockett Jr. was elected President of the National Wrestling Alliance. In 1981, Crockett moved his taping site from WRAL in Raleigh to WPCQ studios in Charlotte. Former (and future) Georgia Championship Wrestling booker Ole Anderson 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 future Honky Tonk Man), 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 nationalized Titan Sports, which operated under the brand name World Wrestling Federation (WWF); Titan Sports Inc., Vince K. McMahon's minority-WWF company founded in 1980, became the modern day WWE after it purchased McMahon Sr.'s Capitol Wrestling Inc. (majority WWF) and unified as the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) as its own corporation after this purchase occurred in 1982. The now NWA-independent WWF - thanks in main part to the epic cage match between Jimmy Snuka and Bob Backlund, on June 28, 1982, that helped make this historic purchase possible - was even able to promote a match between WWF champion Bob Backlund and NWA champion Ric Flair on July 4, 1982, but Crockett still had open plans for the future as well. Jim Crockett's vision was to create a united NWA by purchasing, or merging, all of its member territories.

[edit] Enter Ted Turner

Ted Turner had realized the value of pro wrestling for cable television in the early 1970s. This was a smart move for Turner, as pro 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).

[edit] 1982-83

As Jim Crockett ended his second year as NWA president-as a result of Bob Geigel purchasing Sam Muchnick's St. Louis Wrestling Club in 1982-, the winds of change were starting to whip up in the wrestling industry. Turner's SuperStation TBS had asked Georgia Championship Wrestling, Inc. to change its public brand name to "World Championship Wrestling" 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 started thinking big. In some people's eyes, he thought too big. In order to prevent another Showdown at Shea from taking place, Crockett created the new dominant supercard for the NWA, Starrcade.

[edit] 1984

In 1984, the WWF purchased a majority interest in Georgia Championship Wrestling 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' 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. Also around this time, it is rumored that Ted Turner attempted to purchase the WWF, though Vince McMahon refused to sell. Eventually, McMahon cut his losses and sold the ex-GCW 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'd 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 Brawl to End it All 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.

[edit] NWA 'Unification'

[edit] 1985

1985 was a big year for Jim Crockett. First, Crockett bought out Ole Anderson's CWG, on April 6, 1985,[1] and was re-elected NWA president; this was to help counter the WWF after it became the superior wrestling business after the first WrestleMania occurred. Then, he purchased both the Saturday evening TBS slots from Vince McMahon, 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 Wrestling banner, which had been adopted by Georgia Championship Wrestling 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, and the success of Jim Crockett Promotions grew even more. Crocket purchased the NWA St. Louis Wrestling Club in September 1985 [2], thanks in part of the success of Pro Wrestling USA's Superclash; this program featured Magnum T.A. and Ric Flair fight in a classic match. Crockett was also able to promote a show in St. Louis called All-Star Wrestling as well. However, the WWF was also able to gain fame in St. Louis with the Hulk Hogan/Paul Orndorff feud, and Bob Geigel, who sold his promotion to Jim Crockett in September 1986, was re-elected NWA President until leaving the NWA in December 1987. Crockett had also purchased the UWF on April 9, 1987; this was to help after WrestleMania III occurred.

[edit] 1987

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' 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, it must be pointed out that JCP and NWA were two separate entities and that 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 what can only be termed 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 (i.e. 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' 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 withdrew 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 would inform 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 (five to be more specific) of companies committed to JCP, devastating the show's profitability. It is rumored the total profit for Starrcade '87 after expenses was only $80,000.

[edit] 1988

See also: World Championship Wrestling

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 fledging 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 wasn't as watched as Saturday Night's Main Event.[3][4] On the verge of bankruptcy, Crockett sold his company to Ted Turner in November 1988, where it became known as World Championship Wrestling.

[edit] Demise

The eventual downfall of Jim Crockett Promotions, leading up to its eventual sale to Ted Turner (and the birth of World Championship Wrestling) can be attributed to several key factors:

  • Jim Crockett, Jr. signed wrestlers to huge guaranteed deals, which he couldn't possibly afford.
  • 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.[5] In fact, Bunkhouse Stampede at the Nassau Coliseum drew just 6,000 fans and $80,000.
  • Crockett flew himself and the top stars of his promotion around in an expensive private jet.[6] 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.[7]
  • Fans became sick of the Dusty finish (and other non-endings for shows) that had obliterated the once-profitable house show market.
  • The expensive purchases Crockett made over NWA territories along with the aforementioned purchase of the UWF.
  • Midcarder Ron Garvin beat perennial champion Ric Flair for the world title. Although Garvin was booked to be a babyface, fans didn't find Garvin credible enough to be a serious contender for Flair's title.[8] In return, television ratings plummeted from the 4.0 range to a 2.8 - the fastest drop in JCP history.
  • 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.[9] He was in a similar situation to that of the WWF in the early 1980s: a large debt load, and the success or failure of a federation hinging on the success or failure of a series of pay-per-view events. When both Starrcade '87 and Bunkhouse Stampede achieved low buyrates, it was pretty much the final financial blow for Jim Crockett Promotions.

[edit] Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup

A tag team tournament was held for three years among the NWA promotions to honor Jim Crockett. It was called the Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament. The cards which featured the tournaments were also headlined by NWA World Title Matches. The winners of the tournament would share a purse of $1 million (kayfabe).

The 1986 show was held on April 19, 1986 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Road Warriors won the tournament by defeating Ron Garvin & Magnum T.A. in the finals. NWA World Champ Ric Flair defeated Dusty Rhodes by disqualification.

The 1987 show was held on April 10 & 11, 1987 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Super Powers (Dusty Rhodes & Nikita Koloff) won the tournament by defeating Tully Blanchard & Lex Luger in the finals. NWA World Champ Ric Flair pinned Barry Windham. What made this show memorable was Magnum T.A. appearing in support of Rhodes and Koloff. This was Magnum T.A.'s first appearance at a wrestling show since suffering career-ending injuries in an automobile accident on October 14, 1986.

The 1988 show was held on April 22, 1988 in Greenville, South Carolina and on April 23, 1988 in Greensboro, North Carolina. Sting & Lex Luger won the tournament by defeating Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard in the finals. Nikita Koloff defeated NWA World Champ Ric Flair by disqualification.

[edit] Championships

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ The Glory Days.net | WCW April 6, 1985
  2. ^ Pro-Wrestling Title Histories: St. Louis
  3. ^ Wrestling Information Archive - WCW COTC and Other Ratings
  4. ^ Wrestling Information Archive - WWF Other Ratings
  5. ^ Assael, Shaun; Mooneyham, Mike (2002-07-16). Sex, Lies and Headlocks: The Real Story of Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation. Crown Publishers, pp. 77-78. ISBN 0-609-60690-5. 
  6. ^ In those pre-Internet days, in a time where kayfabe was still held sacred, they lived the gimmick as much as they could. They would always fly either first class or by private jet and be catered around in limos, staying at the best suites around while their fellow wrestlers were stuck in smaller hotels. They would actually fly down to the beach in Florida and then take the jet to Greensboro for matches. They partied all night in a way that would put rock bands to shame and Crockett was willing to foot the bill to keep it all going. Of course, such rampant spending would end up biting him in the ass in the end but at least it made for a good show.
  7. ^ Williams, Steve and Tom Caiazzo. Steve Williams: How Dr. Death Became Dr. Life. Sports Publishing, 2007. (pg. 116) ISBN 1596701803
  8. ^ So on September 25, 1987 in Detroit, Ron Garvin defeated Ric Flair to become the NWA Heavyweight champion. As some had predicted, this did not go down well with NWA fans, as Ric Flair states in his book, they were happy to see Garvin chase for the gold and give Ric a beating, but they didn't see him as someone who would actually be able to beat him. I guess a similar comparison at this point is if Charlie Haas had beaten JBL for the WWE World Title.
  9. ^ Bourne, Dick. "The Birth of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling On Television", Mid-Atlantic Gateway. Retrieved on 2007-04-15. 

[edit] External links

Languages