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Jim Crockett Promotions (1935-1988)
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BruiserBrody
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Might be the smartest of the bunch. Had Daddy's money, no stressful job in comparison to his bros, partied with the boys and rode the WCW gravy train for over a decade.
BruiserBrody
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Jim was under 40 when the National expansion era began.
They had towns that had drawn upwards of 600K a year by themselves.
If anything the Six Pack book taught me it was Vince knew his own weak points and hired people to build up his weak points.
Crockett couldn't even bother hiring a second accountant despite having dreams of national ads and what not.
Some toy company HAD to have come to them in 85/86 after the LJNs did bonkers sales and Remco's AWA earned several lines. I'd love to know the mindset on limiting their revenue streams.
Vince had his guys making 1.3% of merch AFTER he realized how much the boys made off the LJN royalties and made sure to cut them back.
There was probably room for JCP to reopen a baseball team. Then you have a ready made situation to run a ballpark every few months and get your wrestlers gigs mingling with the crowds at your baseball games.
The return to concert promoting was almost done with their GAB tours, but there was probably a better way to integrate it so it wasn't a money losing prospect. Bring in your country music act to ______ arena and promise Duh-stay would be there for part of the show, etc
WWF didn't even successfully break into the South until after JCP died. This was largely JCP shooting themselves in the foot.
They had towns that had drawn upwards of 600K a year by themselves.
If anything the Six Pack book taught me it was Vince knew his own weak points and hired people to build up his weak points.
Crockett couldn't even bother hiring a second accountant despite having dreams of national ads and what not.
Some toy company HAD to have come to them in 85/86 after the LJNs did bonkers sales and Remco's AWA earned several lines. I'd love to know the mindset on limiting their revenue streams.
Vince had his guys making 1.3% of merch AFTER he realized how much the boys made off the LJN royalties and made sure to cut them back.
There was probably room for JCP to reopen a baseball team. Then you have a ready made situation to run a ballpark every few months and get your wrestlers gigs mingling with the crowds at your baseball games.
The return to concert promoting was almost done with their GAB tours, but there was probably a better way to integrate it so it wasn't a money losing prospect. Bring in your country music act to ______ arena and promise Duh-stay would be there for part of the show, etc
WWF didn't even successfully break into the South until after JCP died. This was largely JCP shooting themselves in the foot.
BruiserBrody
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Interesting notes from Tim Hornbaker's Flair book:
Starrcade 83's main event was a happy accident. Race was picked to win the belt in June to strengthen Geigel's St Louis promotion as Larry Matysik was running opposition in the wake of Sam Muchnick's retirement. Race was supposed to lose the belt back a month later.
Amusing enough, Dave Meltzer bitched in the WON about a over weight Race being made champion again over Flair.
Flair's first win was a real pissing match in the NWA board. Dusty was picked to get a run before Flair to appease Eddie Graham. Then the Flair win was in Central States to appease Geigel.
Kerry Von Erich was apparently not picked to win the title due to the momentum from his brother dying, but it was done to appease Fritz who was flirting with going to the WWF umbrella.
Race/Flair's switch while in Singapore was a last second move by Race to appease the promoter after Flair's travel plans failed and he missed the first night of the planned tour. Paul Boesch was in attendance, which the men did not know and he tattled. The title was Dusty finished out of reality after the fact.
Starrcade 83's main event was a happy accident. Race was picked to win the belt in June to strengthen Geigel's St Louis promotion as Larry Matysik was running opposition in the wake of Sam Muchnick's retirement. Race was supposed to lose the belt back a month later.
Amusing enough, Dave Meltzer bitched in the WON about a over weight Race being made champion again over Flair.
Flair's first win was a real pissing match in the NWA board. Dusty was picked to get a run before Flair to appease Eddie Graham. Then the Flair win was in Central States to appease Geigel.
Kerry Von Erich was apparently not picked to win the title due to the momentum from his brother dying, but it was done to appease Fritz who was flirting with going to the WWF umbrella.
Race/Flair's switch while in Singapore was a last second move by Race to appease the promoter after Flair's travel plans failed and he missed the first night of the planned tour. Paul Boesch was in attendance, which the men did not know and he tattled. The title was Dusty finished out of reality after the fact.
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BruiserBrody
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I guess I didn't recall Dusty's angle being attacked in the parking lot (Make it good!) aired the same day as he introduced Koloff as his babyface partner. Hot shotting things after the Bash tour went sour and with Starrcade looming? (And Magnum being taken out)
Maybe they should have gone for the nuclear heat and revealed Dillon paid somebody to mess with TA's break lines.
That's also a lot of Dusty centric booking.
The Garvins in 87 were not the best picks to try and build as the fresh top guys in the mix. Had they had a Sting/Luger in the works instead may have saved the houses. Ron had already had a run with Flair (and to be fair, so did Magnum had his accident not happened) Even the Nikita feud was a rehash of 84-85, just in different roles for he and Flair.
Maybe they should have gone for the nuclear heat and revealed Dillon paid somebody to mess with TA's break lines.
That's also a lot of Dusty centric booking.
The Garvins in 87 were not the best picks to try and build as the fresh top guys in the mix. Had they had a Sting/Luger in the works instead may have saved the houses. Ron had already had a run with Flair (and to be fair, so did Magnum had his accident not happened) Even the Nikita feud was a rehash of 84-85, just in different roles for he and Flair.
BruiserBrody
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Dusty: "Houses are down, everybody must bleed"
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Loss4words-
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Pizzamaniac
Was there anything that Jim Crockett could've done to prevent his family's company from going under, other than staying in between Baltimore and Chicago?
BruiserBrody
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Hire a better accountant and marketing wing.
BruiserBrody
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Seems like a decent mid card heel option to bring in during 87 to freshen things up. The eventually hair loss hurt Tony's cred.
He actually reminds me a lot of my biker uncle, both in body and clothes. (Even the confederate flag....)
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Yeah, everyone remembers those great moments for the Confederacy from the Wisconsin regiment.
BruiserBrody
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We were actually visiting family graves over memorial day weekend and found some Civil War graves among the oldest section of one cemetery.
My Grandpa's property he bought in the 1940s is traced back to first being handed over to a Civil War vet as partial payment for his service to the Union.
---
As for my uncle...he grew up watching Bo and Luke Duke.
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I curse internally whenever I see the stars & bars in Maine and wish Joshua Chamberlain was around to fix his bayonet.
BruiserBrody
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I wonder why they didn't bring in Boris Zuhkov when Nikita turned face?
Uncle Ivan needed a partner, Darsow was about the leap to be Smash anyway.
Unless they were worried Boris would be outed as Jim Nelson? Boris was both a kayfabe Russian and not a kayfabe Russian depending on what promotion he was in.
Jim Nelson left JCP after the Briscos broke his leg or some such IIRC.
Boris left Mid-South when Nikolai Volkoff beat him up for embarrassing the Russians in a recent loss IIRC
Workrate couldn't be the issue considering Vladimir Petrov was a big slug.
May as well bring Soldat Ustinov in with Boris and refill the ranks. If you think he stinks, then Nikita can kill him and send him back to Verne or whatever.
Uncle Ivan needed a partner, Darsow was about the leap to be Smash anyway.
Unless they were worried Boris would be outed as Jim Nelson? Boris was both a kayfabe Russian and not a kayfabe Russian depending on what promotion he was in.
Jim Nelson left JCP after the Briscos broke his leg or some such IIRC.
Boris left Mid-South when Nikolai Volkoff beat him up for embarrassing the Russians in a recent loss IIRC
Workrate couldn't be the issue considering Vladimir Petrov was a big slug.
May as well bring Soldat Ustinov in with Boris and refill the ranks. If you think he stinks, then Nikita can kill him and send him back to Verne or whatever.
BruiserBrody
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Stick to Wrestling in JCP centric this week.
25 mins in and a lot of fun nuggets:
- Dusty dragged his feet coming in during 84 so they had a Hodge podge bookers with Don Kernoodle, Ernie Ladd, Mosca Sr and several others all chipping in
- Stan Hansen came in to feud with Wahoo, but once he made it clear he was not going to do jobs and ruin his Baba gig, he left.
- Brody came in for a minute also, but he found out Dusty wanted him in Paul Jones' Army and balked.
- Buzz Sawyer was fired on his first night in for refusing to lose to the Road Warriors (who were not in JCP yet full time anyway) during a tag tourney to replace Steamboat/Youngblood.
- Steamboat quit to get away from Jay Youngblood's drug habit. Mark and Jay were going to be booked as the new top tag faces, but Jay broke his leg in the same tag tourney mentioned above and they had to rebook the tourney on the fly.
- Iceman Parsons and Porkchop Cash were going to be brought back in 84 to turn heel on Steamboat/Youngblood or the Youngbloods since Jay and Ricky never offered them a World tag title shot while Iceman and Cash were the Mid Atlantic tag champs (both faces) in 83. Iceman didn't like Dusty and declined to jump back from WCCW.
25 mins in and a lot of fun nuggets:
- Dusty dragged his feet coming in during 84 so they had a Hodge podge bookers with Don Kernoodle, Ernie Ladd, Mosca Sr and several others all chipping in
- Stan Hansen came in to feud with Wahoo, but once he made it clear he was not going to do jobs and ruin his Baba gig, he left.
- Brody came in for a minute also, but he found out Dusty wanted him in Paul Jones' Army and balked.
- Buzz Sawyer was fired on his first night in for refusing to lose to the Road Warriors (who were not in JCP yet full time anyway) during a tag tourney to replace Steamboat/Youngblood.
- Steamboat quit to get away from Jay Youngblood's drug habit. Mark and Jay were going to be booked as the new top tag faces, but Jay broke his leg in the same tag tourney mentioned above and they had to rebook the tourney on the fly.
- Iceman Parsons and Porkchop Cash were going to be brought back in 84 to turn heel on Steamboat/Youngblood or the Youngbloods since Jay and Ricky never offered them a World tag title shot while Iceman and Cash were the Mid Atlantic tag champs (both faces) in 83. Iceman didn't like Dusty and declined to jump back from WCCW.
BruiserBrody
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I think I've heard Tully was slated for Paul Jones Army before, but here they say Dory Funk Jr went to bat for him and volunteered to put him over as Dory was leaving JCP.
BruiserBrody
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There was talks in the books and Apters about this snoozer being NWA champ!
snuffbox
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Depending on when that was taped he was a year into pro wrestling at most. There's a few clumsy moments early on but I think it's a good promo by the end. In a time when wrestling still wanted to appear as legitimate sport and in a territory that didn't tend towards the flashy or 'cartoony' stuff, it sounds like a solid, real sports type of promo and, to me, it's extra impressive as he may have had less than a year of experience at the time.
BruiserBrody
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Every territory worth a damn already had cocaine crazies cutting promos in the main events at this moment.
JCP: Piper, Flair, Valiant
Mid South: Watts, Duggan, JYD
Memphis: Lawler, Dundee, Jimmy Hart
Florida: Dusty, Mulligan, Sullivan
Portland: Buddy Rose, Matt Bourne
World Class: Fritz, the Freebirds
AWA: Hogan, Baron, Mad Dog
Georgia: Tommy Rich, Buzz Sawyer, Bob Armstrong
The actual closest thing to a bland babyface was Bob Backlund who was being eclipsed by Snuka and Muraco and Groovy Greg who at least had crazy heels like Ventura, Patera and Adonis bringing the flare to the promos.
Rotunda was on the level of Mike Graham and Scott McGhee - pushed but not drawing.
TL, DR: Rotunda was a bore for 20 years.
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Singles Rotunda was awful. Dry at best, boring at the worst, and never cut a good promo even when he had cheap heat going for him. Someone people inexplicably defend despite being a "workhorse" that dragged down legendary great workers when he got the chance.
At least tag Rotunda was good,though.
At least tag Rotunda was good,though.
BruiserBrody
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Stick to Wrestling has a Mid-Atlantic historian on this week. A couple of interesting notes so far.
- Angelo Mosca was mad that Stu Hart asked him to put over Abby the Butcher in 1970ish in Stampede, so 13 years later he used his booking influence to turn rookie Barry Horowitz into "Brett Hart" on squash matches to kneecap Bret from getting a JCP run. He may or may not have been in the works to come in after Starrcade 84 to help replace the parts being taken by Vince as well as Steamboat "retiring".
- Mosca was also booking himself to beat the Road Warriors on house shows while they were making some shots in early 84.
- Tully Blanchard was losing matches at house shows to guys like Brian Adidas while being put in headline angles on TV due to Dusty not fully being in control yet in early 84.
- He seems to have a hard on for Dusty and claims Rhodes never got over as a top guy in JCP to the level of Steamboat/Youngblood, Valiant, Ricky Morton, etc (I believe he even tossed Ron Garvin's name in there) "The fans" wanted to see Flair vs Wahoo at Starrcade 84 but Bookerman Rhodes put himself in the money spot.
- He also claims Jim Barnett "ordered" Dusty to push Sting and Rhodes didn't want to. I don't think I buy this either as Sting was moving up the card in the UWF and was getting World title shots vs Flair 3 months before his Clash 1 breakout match. It could play into why Flair was eventually trying to avoid doing a job to Luger to put Sting over as the new top guy as his alternative offer. Flair could have put Sting into Steamboat's spot in 89 once Flair got control if he really wanted to put him over, but he put off demoting himself for a full year (which wound up even longer due to Sting's knee injury)
- Eric Embry was Lou Thesz star pupil! I guess I didn't know they had a connection. I picture Embry as a bleached blond brawler in my head, the opposite of Thesz. Apparently JCP jobbers Joe Starbuck and Mark Fleming were Thesz graduates.
- Angelo Mosca was mad that Stu Hart asked him to put over Abby the Butcher in 1970ish in Stampede, so 13 years later he used his booking influence to turn rookie Barry Horowitz into "Brett Hart" on squash matches to kneecap Bret from getting a JCP run. He may or may not have been in the works to come in after Starrcade 84 to help replace the parts being taken by Vince as well as Steamboat "retiring".
- Mosca was also booking himself to beat the Road Warriors on house shows while they were making some shots in early 84.
- Tully Blanchard was losing matches at house shows to guys like Brian Adidas while being put in headline angles on TV due to Dusty not fully being in control yet in early 84.
- He seems to have a hard on for Dusty and claims Rhodes never got over as a top guy in JCP to the level of Steamboat/Youngblood, Valiant, Ricky Morton, etc (I believe he even tossed Ron Garvin's name in there) "The fans" wanted to see Flair vs Wahoo at Starrcade 84 but Bookerman Rhodes put himself in the money spot.
- He also claims Jim Barnett "ordered" Dusty to push Sting and Rhodes didn't want to. I don't think I buy this either as Sting was moving up the card in the UWF and was getting World title shots vs Flair 3 months before his Clash 1 breakout match. It could play into why Flair was eventually trying to avoid doing a job to Luger to put Sting over as the new top guy as his alternative offer. Flair could have put Sting into Steamboat's spot in 89 once Flair got control if he really wanted to put him over, but he put off demoting himself for a full year (which wound up even longer due to Sting's knee injury)
- Eric Embry was Lou Thesz star pupil! I guess I didn't know they had a connection. I picture Embry as a bleached blond brawler in my head, the opposite of Thesz. Apparently JCP jobbers Joe Starbuck and Mark Fleming were Thesz graduates.
BruiserBrody
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JCP @ Greenville, SC – Memorial Auditorium – March 12, 1984
Angelo Mosca Sr. & King Kong Bundy defeated the Road Warriors
This is the only Mosca vs Warriors match listed on thehistoryofwwe.
Tully is listed as losing some matches to Jay Youngblood, Valiant, etc This is right before he wins the TV title and could be viewed as setting up challengers for the future.
JCP @ Roanoke, VA – Civic Center – April 8, 1984 (matinee)
NWA TV Champion Tully Blanchard (sub. for Barry Orton) & Don Kernodle defeated Pez Whatley & Vinnie Valentino (sub. for Brickhouse Brown)
Brian Adidas defeated NWA TV Champion Tully Blanchard
JCP @ Fayetteville, NC – Cumberland County Civic Center – April 16, 1984
Angelo Mosca Sr. defeated NWA TV Champion Tully Blanchard
Toronto, Ontario – Maple Leaf Gardens – April 29, 1984
Canadian Heavyweight Title Tournament
First Round:
Brian Adidas defeated NWA TV Champion Tully Blanchard via referee’s decision
JCP @ Savannah, GA – Civic Center – May 6, 1984
Pez Whatley defeated NWA TV Champion Tully Blanchard
JCP @ Norfolk, VA – Scope – May 10, 1984
Mark Youngblood defeated NWA TV Champion Tully Blanchard
--
The JCP invasion of WWF spot towns have some....interesting line ups:
Piscataway, NJ – High School – June 17, 1984 (matinee)
Paul Kelly & Jesse Barr vs. the Masked Invaders
NWA TV Champion Tully Blanchard vs. Brad Armstrong
Dusty Rhodes vs. Dick Slater
Stan Hansen & Ted Dibiase vs. Wahoo McDaniel & Carlos Colon
Totowa, NJ – June 17, 1984
Bobby Bass defeated Terry Dunne
Jesse Barr defeated Paul Kelly
Invader #1 defeated Doug Vines
Ted Dibiase defeated Vinnie Valentino
Wahoo McDaniel & Pez Whatley defeated Stan Hansen & Les Thornton via disqualification
Carlos Colon defeated NWA TV Champion Tully Blanchard
NWA @ Morristown, NJ – Mennon Arena – June 18, 1984
Bobby Bass defeated Angelo Gomez
Jody Sheilds defeated Lady Adonis
Jesse Barr defeated Doug Vines
Invader #1 defeated Paul Kelly; the match was advertised as the Invaders vs. Kelly & Bob Bass
Carlos Colon defeated Les Thornton (sub. for NWA TV Champion Tully Blanchard)
Stan Hansen defeated Vinnie Valentino; the match was advertised as Hansen & Dick Slater vs. Pez Whatley & Valentino
Wahoo McDaniel & Pez Whatley defeated the Road Warriors via disqualification
I assume they were counting on Ted to draw as he was on GCW at the time and not JCP.
Angelo Mosca Sr. & King Kong Bundy defeated the Road Warriors
This is the only Mosca vs Warriors match listed on thehistoryofwwe.
Tully is listed as losing some matches to Jay Youngblood, Valiant, etc This is right before he wins the TV title and could be viewed as setting up challengers for the future.
JCP @ Roanoke, VA – Civic Center – April 8, 1984 (matinee)
NWA TV Champion Tully Blanchard (sub. for Barry Orton) & Don Kernodle defeated Pez Whatley & Vinnie Valentino (sub. for Brickhouse Brown)
Brian Adidas defeated NWA TV Champion Tully Blanchard
JCP @ Fayetteville, NC – Cumberland County Civic Center – April 16, 1984
Angelo Mosca Sr. defeated NWA TV Champion Tully Blanchard
Toronto, Ontario – Maple Leaf Gardens – April 29, 1984
Canadian Heavyweight Title Tournament
First Round:
Brian Adidas defeated NWA TV Champion Tully Blanchard via referee’s decision
JCP @ Savannah, GA – Civic Center – May 6, 1984
Pez Whatley defeated NWA TV Champion Tully Blanchard
JCP @ Norfolk, VA – Scope – May 10, 1984
Mark Youngblood defeated NWA TV Champion Tully Blanchard
--
The JCP invasion of WWF spot towns have some....interesting line ups:
Piscataway, NJ – High School – June 17, 1984 (matinee)
Paul Kelly & Jesse Barr vs. the Masked Invaders
NWA TV Champion Tully Blanchard vs. Brad Armstrong
Dusty Rhodes vs. Dick Slater
Stan Hansen & Ted Dibiase vs. Wahoo McDaniel & Carlos Colon
Totowa, NJ – June 17, 1984
Bobby Bass defeated Terry Dunne
Jesse Barr defeated Paul Kelly
Invader #1 defeated Doug Vines
Ted Dibiase defeated Vinnie Valentino
Wahoo McDaniel & Pez Whatley defeated Stan Hansen & Les Thornton via disqualification
Carlos Colon defeated NWA TV Champion Tully Blanchard
NWA @ Morristown, NJ – Mennon Arena – June 18, 1984
Bobby Bass defeated Angelo Gomez
Jody Sheilds defeated Lady Adonis
Jesse Barr defeated Doug Vines
Invader #1 defeated Paul Kelly; the match was advertised as the Invaders vs. Kelly & Bob Bass
Carlos Colon defeated Les Thornton (sub. for NWA TV Champion Tully Blanchard)
Stan Hansen defeated Vinnie Valentino; the match was advertised as Hansen & Dick Slater vs. Pez Whatley & Valentino
Wahoo McDaniel & Pez Whatley defeated the Road Warriors via disqualification
I assume they were counting on Ted to draw as he was on GCW at the time and not JCP.
snuffbox
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Stan Hansen had a fairly important run in the McMahon territory in the 70s. Dusty, too, vs Graham. Wahoo played football in that market. Road Warriors were getting a lot of coverage in the Apter mags.
There's quite a few drawing cards on those lineups, especially for small rooms like those.
There's quite a few drawing cards on those lineups, especially for small rooms like those.
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They went on to explain that Crockett had no NY TV and needed Carlos' WWC slot after midnight to plug the Night of Champions and these spot shows. Carlos was supposed to win the TV title as his thank you, Dusty or whoever changed the booking and WWC fell out with JCP.