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Jim Crockett Promotions (1935-1988)

He should literally have taken Fuji's role and all his clients. He meshes with all of them.
 
Wonder if Vince would have made Gary Hart change his name. Already had Bret Hart and Jimmy Hart in the company. If Gregory Helms and Garrison Cade taught us anything, we know Vince loved different guys on his roster having the same name.
 
It's a legit problem with surnames, honestly.
 
snuffbox said:
That Ron Garvin and Gary Hart pairing/angle could've been a hit.

An odd several year run for Garvin. By 87 he's over enough as a solid midcard+ face. Then the world title run that was exclusively for Flair winning another belt. It would have helped Garvin and not taken anything from Flair's win at Starrcade to give Ronnie a few title defenses on tv. The turn on Dusty the next year, especially with that Gary Hart aspect after, could have gotten over...maybe Ric vetoed it to prevent competition on his heel side. Now I wish WWF had brought Garvin in with Hart. Instead, he went from months of storylines, ppv matches, and big wins as an everyman babyface to jobber status, rarely on tv, and left off payperview.
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And his end of 88 is unique as he does a WWF TV taping while still AWA TV champ and WWC Universal champ
 
There's few guys history has been kinder to than Ronnie Garvin for me. He ruled.
 
I saw a house show just after I turned 7 in September 1990. Rockers, Demolition, LOD, Dusty, DiBiase, Power & Glory, etc were all there, and he hadn't been on TV since like March, but I remember hoping that Garvin threw his towel in my direction before he battled bighead Boris.
 
I don't know why WWE won't report this. They reported the passing of Jim Crockett Jr. Why can't they do the same for Bob Caudle?
 
Starrcade season.

I was thinking about Magnum's accident and how the online narrative on his push has changed over the past 25 years.
In 2000, Magnum being the chosen one and NWA Champ was the most common chatter. Now most talk seems to lean into Magnum would have either gotten a brief run, if any at all and by the 90s he'd be more likely to be in SMW than a global star.
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If his accident didn't happen, he was scheduled to work Jimmy Garvin at Starrcade (no Nikita as was usually cited). I'd assume the Nikita blowoff would still happen at some point, but Koloff's turn doesn't go down, at least in late 86/early 87. MAYBE some stunt booking could see Nikita turn in a similar manner down the line, but it would be to be Magnum's partner in his hour of need.

Starrcade 86 was supposed to be Flair vs Ron Garvin, which eliminates Garvin's later token win. It also likely changes Jimmy Jam's face turn and feud with Flair in the Spring/Summer of 87 - although the overall arch of Flair wanting to fuck Sunshine could still happen, but MAYBE could happen faster if it played off the Ron Garvin/Flair angle instead of the other way around.

If the Garvins angle isn't happening, perhaps the Freebirds vs Horsemen feud is given more focus and Hayes and Gordy could see increased main events with Flair during the Bash and some sort of Freebirds and Friends vs Horsemen in a War Games match could be possible, althogh unlikely unless Dusty joins them for the new gimmick match.

Magnum and Flair had already had a series of matches in JCP, so either the issue would have to be reheated (which would not be out of line with JCP traditional booking).

I can see Dusty giving himself a World tag or US tag title run with Magnum to set up TA's turn. If TA turns on Dusty in the early Fall of 1987, Rhodes' retirement talk that surrounded his feud with Luger could be based on Rhodes being the teacher and saying if the student (TA) could whoop him, maybe it would be time to hang up his boots.
Instead of Johnny Weaver, you can bring in Mr Wrestling 2 to play off his past with Magnum. Hell, you can even have Mr W 2 turn on Dusty and KO him with a loaded mask at Starrcade to give Magnum the win. Rhodes can tearfully retire and the Masked Rider can show up to work Mr. Wrestling 2 to delay the Magnum rematch until Clash 1 or some such.
 
A recent idea that came up on McAdam's Stick to Wrestling FB page (IIRC) that popped me: As we head into the summer of 1988... the newest member of the Varsity Club.... BOB BACKLUND!

They likely didn't have money available to make him happy and he didn't want to turn heel due to his daughter... but as a concept, Kevin Sullivan's Devil work turning Backlund into Psycho Bob kind of rules.
 
Apparently on JCP TV just prior to Condrey ghosting the Mid Express Bill Dundee announced Stan Lane was coming in to be his new partner or whatever. It seems nobody remembers that, including Corny when he talks about how Lane and Dr. Tom were the picks to replace Condrey before Corny found out the Fab Ones had already split so taking Lane was a guilt free move.

Keirn was semi retired and doing real estate, but he actually works the Crockett Cup where Lane debuts. Seems like a missed chance to do something with a Fab Ones tease to establish Lane's heel turn.
 
I don't remember Dundee/Lane either but I seem to recall them announcing the Fabulous Ones for the 1987 Crockett Cup
 
Pro – 2/28/87 – featured an opening clip of Dick Murdoch arguing with Baron Von Raschke during a recent match against NWA Tag Team Champions Rick Rude & Manny Fernandez; included Bob Caudle & Johnny Weaver on commentary; featured Bill Dundee joining the commentary team and saying Stan Lane was on his way to the promotion if Jimmy Garvin needed a tag team partner, then adding Dundee would soon face Dusty Rhodes in Memphis

JCP @ Atlanta, GA – WTBS Studios – March 14, 1987 (matinee)
W
Jimmy Garvin (w/ Precious) pinned Randy Barber with the brainbuster at 3:45; during the bout, it was noted the Gladiators, Steve Keirn & Stan Lane, Mike Graham & Nelson Royal would be part of the Crockett Cup in April
But on the same show....
Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane vs. Dexter Wescott & Mike Jackson
 
Why did internet people change the narrative on Magnum TA? He had the ultimate 80s look, crossover factor that bald cocaine enthusiast Hogan didn't...super popular with kids and their parents but not so much with the general public that preferred hair even if it was a toupee like that guy who bankrupted casinos in Atlantic City. When they did a big show on WTBS, Superstars on the Superstation maybe or one of the Battle of the Belts, they opened the program with footage of Magnum riding around on a motorcycle. His Starrcade 85 match had the best build and was better remembered (immediately and well after the fact) than anything else, Flair-Dusty included. Yes, people like Flair and Dusty might have blown it anyway because wrestling was always so real to them and their feelings were the most important thing. But that's not the same as spending a bunch of time online and deciding it was actually Wildcat Wendell Cooley in a Magnum TA mask.
 
I thought he was still highly thought of? Especially now since Hangman has been getting favorable comparisons.

And Wendell Cooley is mad underrated.
 
Yeah I haven’t seen anyone disparage Magnum. If anything, the Dark Side ep on him seriously improved his reputation. I don’t know if he would have been bigger than Hogan (which is an unfair metric since Hogan was arguably the biggest a wrestler has ever been in North America) but he would have been bigger than Flair imo.
 
Honestly, Flair would have thrown a fit if Magnum was given a major run with the belt. It might have stirred the Rhodes vs Flair backstage blow up faster than what happened in 1988. The Horsemen without belts aren't a force and Flair's gimmick relied on him being the champ. I mean they couldn't wrench it off him until he quit in 1991 no matter how over Sting or Luger was.

Magnum had already had a run vs Flair in 85. They worked across JCP and even the Superclash stadium show. Yes, you can reheat the feud ala Hogan vs Savage at various points, but the mystique was not as intense as it could've been.

Now, does Magnum getting the belt around Bash'87 tour -wise stop the bleeding from JCP? Likely not, so the balloon payment issue remains the same and the talent still quit and Crockett is still forced to sell since Vince blocked his PPVs and the national ad revenue never hit as hard as needed.

Magnum was one of Dusty's guys, so there's a good chance he leaves once Rhodes is forced out. Lord knows what Vince would have done with him. He doesn't have the Warrior's roid cycle so he isn't getting a top spot. So he can feud with Rude and Martel in matches to moisten the ladies panties. A Savage-Magnum feud rules on paper. I know they teamed in the early 80s but I'm not sure they ever faced off.

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To more closely answer the question: Some see Magnum as a Goldberg type who had a really high high but ultimately the fans sort of turned on him (if recollections can be believed). Magnum was looking at blowing off the Nikita feud at Starrcade in another I quit type of match if rumors were true but a few weeks out from Starrcade he was actively feuding with Jimmy Garvin. (And potentially trying to sleep with Precious IRL if his routine of sleeping with other wrestler's women extended to the married level)

It's going to be an eternal "what if?" but I can lean closer to the "Magnum was destined to be the Smoky Mountain Champ" than Magnum was going to beat Flair and carry the company into the early 90s.

Dusty had rebuilt the JCP business from early 84 lows but by 87-88 the home base towns were again weak.

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It's kind of wild to think that Kerry's accident is only 5 months or so before Magnum's. That is 2 major young-ish talents who had their careers derailed in a short while.

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I listened to the BTS pod on Magnum's accident recently and he was legit thought to be near death the 1st 48 hours and had to be strapped to a table that would move and angle to make his blood flow. Surgeries and swelling going down lessened the damage, but it was a terrible wreck.

It did give us an all time great line from Steve Corino in ECW though "Dusty, we know you cut the break lines on Magnum's car"
 
What was Magnum, one of the most popular wrestlers in his territory at the time, going to do from 1986 until 1993 or whenever Smoky Mountain started?
 
snuffbox said:
What was Magnum, one of the most popular wrestlers in his territory at the time, going to do from 1986 until 1993 or whenever Smoky Mountain started?
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JYD was one of the most popular wrestlers in the US in 1984 and by 87 was fired (the 1st time). Wrestling is a wild business.

He could have signed a big, fat contract and worked the same 4 heels for 3 years because Rhodes didn't properly flush his roster out.
TA would be custom made for a Rick Rude feud in 87 but Rude quits by May. That leaves.... the Midnight Express who he already feuded with. Tully who he worked extensively. Flair who he had already worked. Arn is fresher. Bubba. Paul Jones' geeks? Heel Luger who has to be kept strong? Larry Z eventually? Al Perez eventually? A Nikita face turn anyway to form the unlikely alliance with Magnum to fight Uncle Ivan, Vladimir and Murdoch?
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I laid out the Magnum heel turn on Dusty in this thread or somewhere else semi recently. It feels like a very Dusty move.
 
Magnum and JYD were very different people. This new internet thing about Magnum being the "Smoky Mountain Champion" isn't adding up. Without the crash, he'd have gone from main event level or pert near to a mysterious 6-7 years of...hands palm up emoji? He'd get fat for some reason?

And, yes, the Corino promo is legendary. Why did it hit so well in the moment and ever since? Because Magnum TA was still that over with wrestling fans some 14 years after his last match.
 
I agree with Snuffy here. I don’t know how people can:

1) look at the dude
2) see how people responded
3) hear him talk

and not think that he would have been big business if they strapped the rocket to him.
 
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