Death of the Territories Read online

  Like Watts, Adkisson had an athletic background, having played college football at Southern Methodist University and briefly as a member of the AFL’s Dallas Texans. In 1953, he turned to pro wrestling and a few years later adopted the “Fritz Von Erich” German heel gimmick. He was hated all over North America, but his box-office draw was unmistakable as people direly wanted to see him beaten. Von Erich rose to the heights of the industry, and held the AWA world heavyweight championship in 1963. He returned to Dallas three years later, and was taught the ins and outs of promotions by Ed McLemore. In 1969, after McLemore’s death, he assumed sole control of the Dallas franchise, and his booking office sent wrestlers throughout Texas. His three eldest children, Kevin, David, and Kerry, followed his footsteps into the ring, and the youngsters became heroes in Dallas, drawing in bobbysoxers and screaming teenage fans to the Sportatorium.

  Adkisson himself was no longer a diabolical heel in the ring, and the Von Erich family represented all that was good in the world of wrestling. On the business side of things, the Dallas territory made impressive strides in the early 1980s. The company signed a deal with local independent station KXTX (channel 39) in 1981, seeking an upgrade of its television product, and producer Mickey Grant was going to deliver in a big way.59 Working with a budget of several thousand dollars per episode, Grant instituted a multi-camera system for matches, and viewers were provided with a more inclusive look at the action. The content appeared much crisper than most contemporary wrestling shows, and with popular music, vivid graphics, slow-motion, and instant replays worked into the weekly scheme, it was definitely an attention grabber.

  Ratings skyrocketed, and the Christian Broadcasting Network, which owned KXTX, decided to syndicate the program across the country, allowing World Class to consider expansion. It was in this time frame that the promotion changed its name from Big Time Wrestling to World Class Championship Wrestling, and the alteration reflected an expanded view of its standing in the global marketplace. Adkisson saw the potential for cross-country promotions and international tours. In late 1982, the Von Erichs entered into a legendary war with the Fabulous Freebirds, and fans were captivated by the explosive feud. Crowds were popping and things couldn’t have been better in the Big D.

  Pro wrestling was a family business in Texas. Approximately 365 miles from Dallas, in Amarillo, another father had proudly supervised the grappling education of his sons. An accomplished grappler in his own right, Dory Funk Sr. won a plethora of regional championships in West Texas, part of an NWA territory that stretched to southeastern Colorado in the north, El Paso in the south, Abilene in the east, and into New Mexico in the west. On February 11, 1969, Funk Sr. saw his namesake, Dory Jr., achieve one of the sport’s greatest honors when he captured the NWA world heavyweight title from Gene Kiniski in Tampa. Unfortunately, he didn’t live to see his younger son, Terry, capture that same championship on December 10, 1975, as it was two years after his death. Without a doubt, the Funk brothers became the most successful siblings in wrestling history, and between them, they have been inducted into more than 19 Halls of Fame.

  West Texas was known for its creative booking, innovative matches, and violence. There was a perfect blend of scientific and submission grappling with wild brawling. Funk Sr. was the backbone of the promotion from the 1950s to the early ’70s, and the crowds at the Amarillo Sports Arena saw some of the most exciting bouts anywhere in the world. He faced off with nearly every big name in the industry and used his famous spinning toehold to put many of them away. When it was time for a straight-up fight, he set the standard for the wrestlers to emulate, and he drew the best from his opponents. Texas Death matches were commonplace in the territory, and buckets of blood were spilled on local mats.

  The Funks were part owners of the West Texas territory as well. In 1967, after Funk Sr.’s partner Dr. Karl Sarpolis died, Dory Jr. and Terry Funk purchased his interest, while a smaller percentage was sold to Jerry Kozak, who replaced Sarpolis as the front for the outfit. Since the Funks were in-ring competitors, Kozak served as the official promoter throughout the 1970s. Dory Jr. and Terry were in high demand all over the world, and their reigns as NWA world champions only elevated their box-office draw. Extended tours of Alliance territories stateside and overseas in Japan limited their time in West Texas, and with the Funks missing from weekly bills, attendance plummeted. The Funks were ever committed to their hometown fans and traveled great distances to make important dates, but the territory was changing.

  Finally, the Funks sold West Texas in October 1978 to Dick Murdoch and Blackjack Mulligan, two wrestlers with local roots. Murdoch grew up in Amarillo and Mulligan was from Sweetwater, and they were fully invested in keeping the great wrestling heritage of West Texas alive. Murdoch and Mulligan continued their active careers, and with wrestlers imported from Dallas (including the Von Erichs), plus youngsters like Ted DiBiase and Merced Solis (Tito Santana), Amarillo seemed to be in good shape. Not immediate members of the NWA, Murdoch and Mulligan were expected to submit an application prior to the 1979 convention. But their membership status was actually hurt by their maneuvering, especially after it was realized they had landed a timeslot on an indie TV station in San Jose, California, more than 1,300 miles from Amarillo.

  If this had been as the result of normal cable TV expansion, such a thing might not have registered with many people, but that was not the case. Roy Shire, the NWA member in northern California, considered the arrival of Amarillo TV part of an invasion, plain and simple. The bold move was likely made as part of a greater plan to establish a coastal stop for grapplers en route to Japan. Murdoch, for one, was routinely traveling to All Japan Pro Wrestling, as were the Funks and many other American grapplers. A setup in California could have been beneficial in that regard. Between April and June 1979, the Amarillo group ran at least three shows in San Jose, Santa Rosa, and Salinas, but with low attendance and heat coming in from Shire and the NWA, it was a losing endeavor, and future shows were canceled.60 The NWA, in turn, approved their membership at the 1979 annual meeting in Las Vegas.

  Amarillo was a hot and cold territory under Murdoch and Mulligan, but things rapidly deteriorated toward the end of 1980. The promotion’s working relationship with Dallas stopped on a dime in November, and management turned to Joe Blanchard’s San Antonio office for wrestlers before Murdoch and Mulligan decided to cut their losses and bowed out of the region. Nick Kozak and Ricky Romero picked up the scraps and looked to Leroy McGuirk in Tulsa for help the following year, but McGuirk’s business wasn’t healthy either. Amarillo was a shadow of its former self, and although programs were held, the glitz and glamour of big-time wrestling in West Texas had disappeared.

  Albuquerque, New Mexico, was in the same boat. Once an independent NWA territory all its own, Albuquerque had been run by promoter Mike London since 1949. London, a former wrestler known for his trademark beard, was an intelligent booker for the region that ran northward along the future I-25 corridor, from Albuquerque to Cheyenne, Wyoming, and included Denver and Colorado Springs. With a solid talent-sharing agreement with Fred Kohler of Chicago, London was highly successful, turning mediocre-drawing towns into hotspots. In June 1974, a devastating fire at the McIntosh Building destroyed nearly all of his personal and business property. Despite the massive loss, he was determined to go on, telling a local newspaper that his television program would be taped that weekend “come hell or high water.”61

  By that time, London was relying exclusively on talent from West Texas, since a local booking office wasn’t sustainable, and he coordinated through Nick Kozak in Amarillo. But the same problems affecting Amarillo hurt Albuquerque as well, and in mid-1975, London ceased running regular programs. Three years later, he was honored by the Albuquerque Sports Hall of Fame, and it was claimed he had been on television longer than anyone in U.S. history, consecutively since the late 1940s.62 With London’s quiet retirement from the wild world of pro wrestling, Albuquerque was void of pro
grappling until November 1981, when an independent group operated by R. Dewain Miller tried its luck at the Civic Auditorium, billing Jackson Cromwell Brodie as champion. Among the other grapplers featured were Frederick “Nature Boy” Von Hess, Hillbilly, and Tommy Reynoso.

  Toward the end of 1982, there were rumblings about a new promotion hitting the Southwest, and it had an interesting connection to two prime NWA territories in the Southeastern part of the United States. On September 24, 1982, a new entity called Global Wrestling Inc. was established in Georgia.63 This organization was headed by Ann Gunkel, the widow of wrestling legend Ray Gunkel, and had ties to Eddie Graham in Florida. Gunkel, who was remembered by many wrestling fans for her war against Georgia Championship Wrestling and the NWA between 1972 and 1974, was ready to take the nation by storm, and with Graham, she had Florida and Georgia locked up. In addition, she was pursuing a syndicated television deal, looking to run live events in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Albuquerque.

  The fact that another outfit had far-reaching expansion plans was astonishing. The WWF, GCW, SCW, World Class, and now Ann Gunkel’s Global were all trying to increase their market share — and at the same time. North America was only so big, and, surprisingly, this list didn’t include Jim Crockett Promotions, which, outside of a foray into Buffalo and Toronto, had yet to commit to a major outside expansion. The absorption of Southern California by the WWF and Oklahoma by Watts–Adkisson were major developments in the world of wrestling. With the collapse of West Texas and Albuquerque, the wrestling map looked much different in December 1982 than it had a decade earlier. Cable TV and syndication was the biggest threat to the territorial system, and emboldened promoters were investing big money to capitalize on the opportunities created. With that being said, and considering all the players now involved, the old territories didn’t stand much of a chance of surviving the 1980s intact.

  Chapter Five

  The Surviving Territories

  The early 1980s was an incredibly fluid time for professional wrestling. Left and right, promoters were expanding and absorbing territories, while others were selling out and leaving the sport behind. One of the biggest changes to the business was actually a well-deserved retirement. On January 1, 1982, Sam Muchnick stepped down from his leadership role in St. Louis, and although he’d remain around the local office for another year as an adviser, his days running the day-to-day operations were finished.64 His retirement was not only a loss to wrestling in St. Louis and to the National Wrestling Alliance, but to the business as a whole. He had been a wise advocate for peace, a sounding board for grievances, and the glue between various organizations. In an industry not always known for its integrity, Muchnick was trusted, and he was the shining star everyone looked to for guidance.

  For 37 years, Muchnick ran St. Louis with professionalism and class.65 The famous Wrestling at the Chase TV program was mandatory viewing for fans, and wrestlers who worked St. Louis always knew they were getting a fair shake. In terms of talent and booking angles, Muchnick was exceptionally conservative. Matches usually went to a conclusive finish, and he enjoyed promoting wrestlers of legitimate skill and strength. He wasn’t thrilled by gimmicks, nor was he impressed by egomaniacal personalities behind the scenes. Muchnick didn’t have time for games and he never wanted to risk disappointing his patrons. If someone wanted to no-show a booking in St. Louis without proper advance notice, that wrestler was likely not to be welcome again.

  It was an admirable practice, and the St. Louis populace appreciated his extraordinary dedication. With heavy hearts, those same fans acknowledged and celebrated his great career upon his retirement. Wrestling went on, though, and the St. Louis Wrestling Club, under the ownership of Bob Geigel, Pat O’Connor, and Verne Gagne, kept the territory alive. Larry Matysik, Muchnick’s longtime assistant, was retained to manage the office, and the transition of ownership appeared relatively painless. Of course, there was bound to be adjustments, mostly because of the new influence of Geigel in the territory. A former wrestler of note, Geigel was the head of the Central States region, headquartered in Kansas City, and in August 1982, he was elected to his third term as NWA president.66

  The merging of ownership in St. Louis and Kansas City was going to streamline things a little too much for some tastes. Definite characteristics of Geigel’s promotion were going to show up in St. Louis, and to purists like Matysik, the change would be difficult to accept.67 Kansas City relied on more gimmickry than St. Louis had under Muchnick. They popped houses for immediate returns rather than considering long-term effects and used crooked finishes to incite crowd reaction. Matysik knew what made wrestling tick in his city and didn’t understand changing a thriving system. Several times in 1982, he butted heads with Geigel and even resigned, only to return in the hopes of protecting the unique qualities of St. Louis. There was no city in wrestling like it.

  Geigel possessed an entirely different mindset. Originally from Algona, Iowa, he served in World War II and enjoyed a successful run as a football player and wrestler at the University of Iowa. In 1948, his grappling skills earned him All-American honors, and two years later, he turned professional. Geigel toured the country but spent much of his time in his home territory of the Central States. He learned the promotional side of the business from George Simpson in Kansas City and Gust Karras in St. Joseph, and in 1963, he joined his mentors and Pat O’Connor to form Heart of America Sports Attractions Inc. The new company would become the principal entity behind wrestling in Iowa, Kansas, and western Missouri, a region with a tremendous history in wrestling. Iowa had been at the center of the sport’s focus during the first quarter of the 20th century, with Frank Gotch and Earl Caddock ruling the roost.

  Iowa was also the birthplace of the National Wrestling Alliance. Under the sensible leadership of Paul “Pinkie” George, the NWA was formed in 1948, initially as a Midwestern outgrowth of his Des Moines–based organization of the same name. But the NWA quickly grew beyond Pinkie’s control, and by the early 1960s, George found himself at odds with the Alliance. Even though he was the father of the organization, he was essentially muscled out of the business by the politically strong Heart of America Sports Attractions. The company did the same to Orville Brown, the very first NWA world heavyweight champion, who owned a slice of the Kansas City office for years. As Geigel’s group consolidated power, Brown was pushed into retirement.

  Without competition, the Kansas City office controlled the territory, and Geigel strengthened his standing in the NWA, becoming a member of the board of directors in 1972, an officer in 1977, and president in 1978. There was little doubt Geigel was greatly respected by his peers and wrestlers alike. He was a college-educated guy and a veteran of thousands of matches. On extended tours of West Texas he picked up a lot of knowledge about booking and creativity from Dory Funk Sr. and implemented many of those tricks of the trade in the Central States. Having New Zealander Pat O’Connor around was a big help to him too. The former NWA world champion (from 1959 to ’61) aided with booking, worked matches, and acted as the middleman between Kansas City and St. Louis, where he owned a percentage and also worked as a matchmaker.

  There was another major player in the Central States, and he was arguably the most valuable: Harley Race, a brilliant grappler from Quitman, Missouri. Race, by 1982, was already a six-time NWA world heavyweight titleholder and an important box-office attraction around the globe.68 A product of the territory, he was celebrated in towns large and small, and both Geigel and Muchnick supported his numerous title reigns. He was a multifaceted performer, able to wrestle or fight at a moment’s notice, and was the perfect opponent for any number of foes. It didn’t matter if they were Andre the Giant or a scientific grappler like Jack Brisco, Race was an ideal ring rival. And beginning in 1982, he also owned stock in the St. Louis office. The combination of Geigel’s position in the NWA and Race’s value as a grappler gave the Central States–Missouri contingent enormous power.

 
Jim Crockett Jr., head of the Mid-Atlantic territory, was another well-situated member of the Alliance, and his star grappler, “Nature Boy” Ric Flair, was the organization’s heavyweight champion. The Crocketts were part of wrestling tradition in the Carolinas and Virginia going back decades. Jim Sr. actually began in the promotional business in the 1930s and joined the NWA in 1951. He developed a thriving region, utilizing the best talent in the business, and earned the respect of both wrestlers and fans. Enthusiasts appreciated the consistency of his first-class presentations and grapplers were never cheated by his payoffs. He was sincere, loyal to the community, and widely appreciated in big cities and small. His death in 1973 was a stunning blow to the wrestling world at large, and his friends within the NWA mourned the loss of a veteran leader and colleague. The Mid-Atlantic promotion was inherited by his family with Jim Crockett Jr. taking a central role.

  During the last half of the 1970s, under the watchful eye of booker George Scott, Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) evolved as an organization, and really became one of the crown jewel territories for the NWA. Featuring outstanding talent like Flair, Ricky Steamboat, Roddy Piper, Greg Valentine, and Paul Jones, JCP was riding an impressive high, and Jim Crockett Jr. was lauded for his leadership. His political position inside the Alliance grew, first as a second vice president in 1976, and then as president beginning in 1980. The 37-year-old Crockett sponsored Flair for the NWA title, and on September 17, 1981, in Kansas City, the Nature Boy went over Dusty Rhodes for his first world championship. Crockett was reelected NWA president in 1981 but didn’t seek the position the following year. In fact, he didn’t attend the 1982 annual meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and his brother David represented the promotion.69 At that convention, Bob Geigel became president.

  Within the political hierarchy of the NWA, egos ran rampant and volatility was often the norm. The loss of the even-tempered Sam Muchnick had hurt the coalition, but a new generation of leaders stepped up, and Crockett’s voice at the table was vitally important. Another key leader was Eddie Graham of Tampa, Florida. Born Edward Gossett in Chattanooga, Tennessee, he became one-half of the renowned Graham Brothers tag team along with Dr. Jerry Graham. Their villainous act was a showstopper all over the wrestling map, and they turned crowds on their heads from the moment they stepped through the backstage curtain. In Florida, Eddie branched out on his own, wrestling for his original trainer, Clarence “Cowboy” Luttrall. Remembered for his ill-fated boxer versus wrestler bout against legendary fighter Jack Dempsey, which resulted in a knockout for the latter, Luttrall is credited with creating the first viable wrestling circuit in Florida.70 His territory extended from Tallahassee to Key West, and Graham was a major box-office draw.