Heart of America Sports Attractions

Heart of America
Sports Attractions
Acronym CSW
Founded July 1948
Defunct 1988
Style American Wrestling
Headquarters Kansas City, Missouri
Founder(s) Orville Brown
Owner(s) Orville Brown (1948–63)
Bob Geigel (1963–86, 1987-88)
Jim Crockett, Jr. (1986-87)
Parent National Wrestling Alliance
Sister St. Louis Wrestling Club
Formerly Central States Wrestling

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.[1] Due to the promotion’s main office and base of operations being in Kansas City, Missouri the territory was often referred to simply as “Kansas City”. The promotion existed from July 1948 until it closed in 1988. The territory was one of the original territories of the National Wrestling Alliance with two of the 6 “founding fathers” of the NWA (Paul "Pinkie" George and Orville Brown) promoting in it.[2] In 2005 the “Central States Wrestling” name was revived by the National Wrestling Alliance's NWA Midwest franchise. The new Central States Wrestling promotion is based in Lawrence, Kansas but except for the name has no other connection to the Heart of America Sports Attractions promotion.

Contents

History

Midwest Wrestling Association

Originally known as the Midwest Wrestling Association before the formation of the National Wrestling Alliance it controlled and booked shows territories in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa and was seen as a cornerstone of the NWA. The territory was promoted by Pinky George and the first ever NWA World Heavyweight Champion Orville Brown from the creation of the NWA until 1958.

Heart of America Sports Attractions forms

In 1958, wrestler/promoter Bob Geigel took over and partnered up with Pat O'Conner and Harley Race to form "Heart of America Sports Attractions, Inc." The promotion continued to be a cornerstone of the NWA with Geigel sitting on the board of directors and even served as chairman of the National Wrestling Alliance from 1978 until 1987, the period that's considered the last "glory years" of the NWA.[2] Central States Wrestling did not become a household name across the United States until 1973 where Harley Race brought attention to CSW (and it's "sister promotion" the St. Louis Wrestling Club) when he won the NWA World Heavyweight Title for the first time.[1]

Under Jim Crockett Promotions

In 1986, Geigel sold the promotion to Jim Crockett Promotions owner Jim Crockett, Jr., who ran the territory from September 1986 until February 1987, where Bob Geigel bought the promotion back and co partnered with George Petraski.[3]

World Wrestling Alliance

After stepping down as chairman of the NWA, Geigel withdrew his promotion from the NWA in late 1987 and formed a new sanctioning body known as the World Wrestling Alliance in an attempt to compete with the national expansion of Jim Crockett and Vince McMahon. The move did not pay off and Geigel closed the WWA in early 1989.[3]

Tape library

The promotion's classic tape library is currently controlled by World Wrestling Entertainment obtained through their purchase of World Championship Wrestling, who owned the rights.

Central States headliners

Championships

Championship: Last Champion(s): Active From: Active Until: Notes:
MWA World Heavyweight Championship Orville Brown January 1940 October 1948 The top promotional title of the Midwest Wrestling Association, retired when the MWA joined the National Wrestling Alliance with Brown as the first champion.
NWA World Heavyweight Championship Still Active n/a n/a As a member of the NWA, the NWA World title was recognized as the top title in the promotion.
NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship Akio Sato May 18, 1950 1989 The top promotional title of Central States Wrestling.[3]
NWA Central States Tag Team Championship Rick Patterson and Steve Ray February 26, 1971 April 1988 Was briefly promoted in 1961 but not used regularly until it replaced the Central States version of the NWA World Tag Team championship in 1979 as the main tag team title of the promotion[3]
NWA Central States Television Championship Masahiro Chono 1977 1988 [3]
NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship Harley Race September 16, 1972 February 1986 The top promotional title of sister promotion St. Louis Wrestling Club recognized in Kansas City as well[3]
NWA North American Tag Team Championship (Central States version) Great Togo and Tokyo Joe December 19, 1963 1973 During their run with the titles Great Togo and Tokyo Joe were "upgraded" to the Central States version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship[3]
NWA United States Heavyweight Championship
(Central States version)		 Eddie Sharkey August 24, 1961 September 1968 [3]
NWA World Tag Team Championship (Central States version) Bob Brown and Bob Sweetan June 1958 1979 The Central States version of the World Tag Team Championship was abandoned twice between 1960 and 1973[3]
WWA World Heavyweight Championship Mike George 1988

[1989 The Russian Brute (wrestler) Central States Tag Team Champion]

 [3]

References

  1. ^ a b Kristian Pope & Ray Whebbe (2nd Edition 2003). The Encyclopedia of Professional Wrestling: 100 Years of History, Headlines & Hitmakers. Krause Publications. ISBN 978-0873496254. 
  2. ^ a b Hornbaker, Tim (2007). National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of the Monopoly that Strangled Pro Wrestling. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1550227413. 
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Royal Duncan & Gary Will (4th Edition 2006). Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4. 

External links