Death of the Territories

by Tim Hornbaker

  As mentioned earlier, for years, Louisiana only issued one booking permit, and Bill Watts was the customary licensee. The actions of the athletic commission in distributing the lone certification protected Watts from anyone trying to muscle in. But in a free-trade environment, exclusive state licensing agreements opened things up to potential antitrust complaints, and the WWF was headed in that direction. In the meantime, McMahon acquired local TV outlets to introduce its wrestlers to Louisiana fans. McMahon then piped WrestleMania I into New Orleans through the Cox Cable system, and drew 2,000 buys. Finally, in late August 1985, Titan Sports filed suit against the Louisiana Athletic Commission in the Orleans Parish Civil District Court.293 On October 7, the commission met in New Orleans to discuss the legality of the “one booker” statute, and heard testimony for 90 minutes.294 The conference was adjourned without a formal decision, but the suggestion of a monopoly in Louisiana rattled enough cages to get the law overturned. The WWF made its debut in Shreveport on February 27, in Baton Rouge on March 6, and at the Superdome in New Orleans on March 7, 1986. The Superdome show, headlined by Hogan–Iron Sheik and Junkyard Dog–Terry Funk, drew more than 12,000 fans. Surprisingly, Jake Roberts, who’d recently departed the Mid-South territory for the WWF, didn’t appear, and was instead booked in Philadelphia that night.

  Roberts was just another star in a succession of “name” grapplers to beat a path for either the WWF or Jim Crockett Promotions. Terry Taylor actually returned to Watts in late 1985, and joined Ted DiBiase and Steve Williams as the group’s top fan favorites. Jim Duggan was the other major babyface, and on March 16, 1986, after a bit of trickery, he beat Buzz Sawyer for Dick Slater’s North American championship in Oklahoma City. The region’s top singles championship changing hands was pretty big news, but in the context of what else Bill Watts had going on at the time, it was relatively small potatoes. Following the efforts of Ron Fuller in changing the name of his localized promotion into a more national-sounding outfit, Watts dropped the “Mid-South” name and rebranded his organization the Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF). For Watts, regionalism was a thing of the past, and it was all about syndication and expansion.

  Watts co-promoted an ambitious show at the Superdome on April 19 with Jim Crockett, billed as the Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament. Featuring 24 teams and 48 competitors from eight territories, the tourney garnered international attention, and Watts made his WTBS return to hype the card on Crockett’s telecast. The event started on the afternoon of April 19, drawing 3,500 spectators, and then continued that evening with 13,000 fans for a total gate of $180,000.295 In the finals, the Road Warriors went over Ronnie Garvin and Magnum T.A. Two singles matches were also staged. Ric Flair beat Dusty Rhodes by disqualification in defense of his NWA championship, and Jim Duggan defeated Dick Slater to retain the North American crown. Duggan’s title was soon phased out, and Watts introduced a UWF heavyweight belt in a tournament on May 30, 1986, in Houston. Terry Gordy became the initial champ after winning over a badly busted open Duggan in the deciding match.

  Watts made a lot of quick progress. He had already upgraded his TV presentation by moving his tapings from the Irish McNeil Sports for Boys Club in Shreveport to Oklahoma City’s Myriad Convention Center and then to the Tulsa Convention Center. An arena setting was pivotal for big-time wrestling on the tube in 1986, and his syndication efforts were paying off too. His TV show debuted in St. Louis, Detroit, Chicago, Philadelphia, and parts of Texas, Missouri, and Kansas. The UWF even got into New York City on WWHT-68. Talent acquisitions were essential, and Watts picked up a roster of heel performers: the Freebirds, Jack Victory, One Man Gang, Kamala, and Skandor Akbar, followed by John Tatum and Missy Hyatt. The Freebirds were a huge addition, and aside from Gordy winning the UWF championship, Michael Hayes became an important color commentator alongside Jim Ross. After leaving Memphis, the neophyte Blade Runners, Sting and Rock, gained a spot on Watts’s payroll and took Eddie Gilbert as their manager. Both were future Hall of Famers, as Sting would go on to capture multiple world championships in WCW and TNA. Rock (later known as the Ultimate Warrior) won both the Intercontinental and world titles in the WWF. But in 1986, they were raw and enthusiastic performers with plenty still to learn. Rick Steiner, a former amateur grappler at the University of Michigan and legit tough guy, was an up-and-comer for Watts as well.

  The UWF expansion went forward without hesitation, and Watts easily pushed into two of Leroy McGuirk’s old towns, Springfield and Joplin, Missouri, in May and June 1986. On June 6, Watts also went into Memphis, instigating a war against his old business associate Jerry Jarrett. Programs in West Texas, San Antonio, and Dallas were booked over the summer months, and local promoters were forced to cope with yet another imposing outside group.

  Jack Adkisson was one of those promoters, and based on a series of unfortunate events, he was having a horrible 1986. Two real-world incidents were especially painful. In late January, one of his top performers, Gino Hernandez, was found dead of a drug overdose in his Dallas-area home.296 About four months later, Adkisson’s son Kerry suffered serious injuries from a motorcycle accident in Argyle, Texas, the worst being a shattered right ankle. It was so bad that Kerry’s career was in jeopardy, and he endured hours of surgery to restore circulation to his foot. Only time would tell if he’d be able to return to wrestling. The death of Hernandez and the injury to Von Erich were devastating to World Class and seemed to turn back the many gains Adkisson had made in previous years. In February 1986, World Class left the National Wrestling Alliance. The departure, which cut Adkisson off from his old allies, was a long time coming, and had been rumored for months. At the Sportatorium, Adkisson painted over the symbolic NWA logo and declared Rick Rude, the current American titleholder, the WCCW world heavyweight champion.297 World Class was now an indie organization, and Adkisson’s strained relations with Watts and Crockett promised a war for Texas that he couldn’t afford to lose. The defections of the Freebirds, One Man Gang, and booker Ken Mantell to the UWF hurt Adkisson, and disorder reigned in the front office.298 Adkisson remained focused, and, during the last week of April 1986, World Class toured Israel for a second time and summer shows were planned for New Orleans, Philadelphia, Providence, and Chicago.

  Despite the downturn, July 4, 1986, was a landmark day for the promotion. A big show was staged at Reunion Arena in Dallas, and more than 11,500 people saw Chris Adams dethrone Rude for the world title. In a riotous affair, Bruiser Brody and Abdullah the Butcher brawled to a double disqualification, and Buzz Sawyer, who jumped from the UWF to Dallas in June, won the Texas championship from Brian Adias. But the predominant interest of fans centered on the return of Mike Von Erich. Mike’s battle back from near death the September before was nothing short of miraculous, and he teamed with Kevin and Lance to defeat Sawyer, Matt Borne, and Butch Reed in a six-man bout. Though still weakened from his illness, both mentally and physically, Mike received the loudest “pop” of the night.

  The night was also important as it marked the introduction of World Class wrestling on the ESPN cable network. The show was in a coveted 8:00 p.m. timeslot, right before live boxing on Friday nights, and increased the promotion’s nationwide exposure. Locally, in Texas, Adkisson maintained his territorial footprint, running about a dozen cities between regular stops and spot shows.

  On July 27, the UWF, in association with Jim Crockett Promotions and the NWA, invaded Dallas for the first time. Considering the long relationship between the NWA and Adkisson, it was a surreal moment in wrestling history. But ironically, Adkisson had made his debut into pro wrestling in 1953 with an outlaw organization at odds with the Alliance, so it was fitting he was to end his career the same way.299 Adkisson wasn’t going to cave without a fight. Less than 15 miles away, east of Dallas in Mesquite, he held a rivaling show and declared it “fan appreciation night.”

  No matter how you looked at it, though, the UWF and NWA had superior talent, and drew a crowd of 7,
500 at the Reunion Arena. In the co-main event, Bill Watts teamed with the Road Warriors to beat the Freebirds by disqualification, and newly crowned NWA world champion Dusty Rhodes defeated Ric Flair. Many in Dallas were surprised to learn that Rhodes had conquered the Nature Boy the night before in Greensboro during the finale of the Great American Bash tour. Others on the bill were Jim Duggan, Magnum T.A., the Rock and Roll Express, and the Midnight Express. Because of his vulnerable position in the talent fight, Adkisson used one of his secret weapons in promotion for his show. He touted the return of Kerry Von Erich, not in the ring, but just as a special appearance, and told enthusiasts they could take photos with him. Approximately 6,000 faithful Von Erich fans turned out to see Kerry, but instead of doing the promised photo op, he left the building early, leaving fans disappointed.300 The promotional bad blood was at a peak, and Adkisson filed a lawsuit against Watts over their previous partnership in Oklahoma. The latter was served with papers when he arrived at the venue in Dallas on July 27.301 The wrestlers who’d jumped from his promotion were also sued in a separate action for breach of contract.

  As was par for the course, Watts and Crockett fell out of favor right about the same time as the Dallas program, and added the UWF to the list of enemy non-NWA entities active in the country.302 In Memphis, Jerry Jarrett was a non-Alliance promoter on good terms with the organization in 1985, and benefited from joint shows with Crockett. But the tides had turned by 1986. With the UWF, Crockett and the NWA, and the WWF all coming to town, Memphis was one of the hottest battleground cities anywhere. From a successful run as a grappler and booker in Mid-South, Bill Dundee emerged back on the Memphis scene and feuded heavily with his perpetual nemesis, Jerry Lawler. On December 30, 1985, he shocked the territory by winning a loser-leaves-town bout over Lawler, sending the King packing. Three months later, Lawler made his triumphant return and drew big houses at the Mid-South Coliseum with Dutch Mantell against Dundee and Buddy Landel. He gained his revenge on Dundee in a heated cage match on April 7 and regained his Southern belt in the process. Away from the mat, Jarrett was layering his defense. He changed the name of his promotion from Continental Wrestling Association to Championship Wrestling Association, and to counter the UWF’s incursion into Memphis in early June 1986, he lowered ticket prices.303 On such occasions, he practically gave away his shows for $2 a pop, encouraging patronage and loyalty.

  Jarrett held a free show on July 4 for Memphis fans celebrating Independence Day. His efforts coincided with the debut of Jim Crockett at the Liberty Bowl, a massive structure seating 60,000. If Crockett with his army of superstars was able to draw half that, Jarrett was in serious trouble. As it turned out, though, the people of Memphis were more interested in festivities and fireworks than WTBS wrestlers, and Crockett drew a mere 1,900. High ticket prices ($20, $50) were also responsible for the embarrassing turnout, and JCP had to reassess its strategy. The UWF’s second program in Memphis drew half of its first, and Jarrett ran a unique bit of opposition at a local park. It was a softball doubleheader, and again, the populace proved its devotion to Lawler with the regular crew outdrawing the outsiders three to one.

  In Florida, the local NWA affiliate was making the most of its relationship with Crockett, and was competitive against the WWF when Dusty Rhodes, Ric Flair, and other JCP stars were on the card. Without them, CWF was struggling, only drawing in the hundreds in formerly strong towns like Miami and Orlando. On September 2, 1985, a huge Battle of the Belts event in Tampa featured talent from the NWA and AWA and was syndicated in 15 markets.304 In a two-of-three-falls match, Flair beat Wahoo McDaniel, and the AWA tag champions, the Road Warriors, brawled their way to a double count-out against Stan Hansen and Harley Race. A second Battle of the Belts followed on February 14 in Orlando, and Flair wrestled Barry Windham in a 40-minute classic ending in a double count-out, as did a match between McDaniel and Bruiser Brody. In another contest, 27-year-old Lex Luger beat Jesse Barr to capture the Southern championship.

  A former pro football player from New York, Luger stood 6-foot-3 and weighed over 250 pounds. Learning the fundamentals of wrestling from famed coach Hiro Matsuda out of the Tampa office, the naturally charismatic Luger won the Southern belt for the first time from Wahoo McDaniel within weeks of his debut. His Battle of the Belts victory was his second reign, and he would carry the strap for the next five months before dropping a match to the Masked Superstar. But Luger’s push continued, and he regained it a week later. Matsuda also mentored Japanese youngster Keiji Mutoh, who was but 23 years old and destined to be an international star. Mutoh competed as the White Ninja in the Florida territory, and gained plenty of experience. The son of Blackjack Mulligan, Kendall Windham, was just a skinny teenager when he went to the top in Florida, and he was a state heavyweight champion several times over.

  Florida and every other territory was dealing with the World Wrestling Federation’s mass marketing platform. When it came time for WrestleMania, everything stopped as if the WWF’s tagline, “What the World Is Watching,” was true. The second WrestleMania was more grandiose than the first, spread out over three live locations and featuring a lineup of celebrities, better CCTV venues, and expanded pay-per-view connectivity. On April 7, 1986, arena lights kicked on at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, the Rosemont Horizon outside Chicago, and at the Los Angeles Sports Arena for the action to begin. Hulk Hogan, as could be expected, was the main-event star, and he defeated his weighty rival, King Kong Bundy, in a cage match in Los Angeles. In Uniondale, Mr. T returned to defeat Roddy Piper by disqualification in a special boxing match, when the latter decided to bodyslam his opponent. A 20-man battle royal was the center of attention in Chicago, mostly because six current and former football players were participants, and all eyes were on the 335-pound “Refrigerator” William Perry, a popular defensive lineman for the Chicago Bears. Although Perry was dwarfed by the match’s eventual winner, Andre the Giant, his appearance was national news. On the celebrity front, McMahon spared no expense. Ray Charles, Ozzy Osbourne, Tommy LaSorda, Ricky Schroder, Joe Frazier, Joan Rivers, Dick Butkis, Ed “Too Tall” Jones, Cathy Lee Crosby, and many others each had an on-camera role.

  Attendance at the live shows didn’t meet expectations, however. Chicago failed to sell out, seeing only half the attendance of an earlier WWF house show. Los Angeles was less than full too, but with increased ticket prices, the gates were satisfactory. Closed-circuit and pay-per-view buys could have been better, and counting the exorbitant costs to run the massive event, the WWF was fortunate to turn a profit. Journalists around the country, some of whom went to local CCTV showings, offered wide-ranging critiques. On one hand, the press loved the excitement, the ritzy atmosphere, and the varied matchups. On the other, they were unmoved by the action, annoyed by the celebrities, and cantankerous in their reporting. For McMahon, though, there was much to be savored. The WWF was back in the news, and WrestleMania was still the hottest ticket in the business.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Grappling with Turbulence

  With incredible size and magnetism, the Road Warriors were an extraordinary box-office attraction. They quickly rose from a mid-level regional position in Georgia to world class superstardom, and promoters were dying to add Hawk and Animal to their programs. Since both men were originally from Minnesota, it made sense for them to work for Verne Gagne, and the latter put the AWA world tag belts around their waists. But as Gagne’s circuit deteriorated, the Road Warriors looked for better opportunities. They got a taste of bigger paydays in joint promotions with Jim Crockett in 1985, and the experiences opened their eyes to life away from the AWA. Toward the end of September 1985, they made three appearances with Crockett wrestlers in the Northwest, including in Portland and Seattle for promoter Don Owen.

  On September 28, they lost a controversial match and their AWA belts to the Freebirds at Comiskey Park in Chicago, but a review of the finish saw the straps returned to the Warriors, much to the delight of fans. But
in St. Paul the next day, there was no post-match review. Jim Garvin and Steve Regal beat them with outside help from the Freebirds to capture the AWA tag championship. The title switch was inevitable, and for the Warriors, it was exactly what they wanted. The money to be made wrestling for Crockett and overseas for All Japan Pro Wrestling was life changing, and for a time, just being free agents was quite suitable. After the first of the year, in 1986, they increased their bookings for Crockett in the Carolinas, Atlanta, and Philadelphia and did more TV to build up their stature in the promotion. And aside from a few trips back to Gagne’s region to finish up their obligations there, that’s how things remained.

  The Road Warriors won the first annual Crockett Cup on April 19, 1986, and traveled to Minneapolis to help Gagne the next day. The AWA was staging its biggest event of the year, WrestleRock, and needed the Warriors on the bill to sell tickets. WrestleRock was the AWA’s version of WrestleMania, and Gagne was also laying out a small fortune to give it a major-league feel.305 He rented the humongous Metrodome Stadium and tried to land Minneapolis native Prince to perform during the show. But Prince was filming Under the Cherry Moon in France, so Gagne went with country singer Waylon Jennings, which seemed to contradict the WrestleRock theme.306 The card featured 16 matches and 52 wrestlers and lasted more than six hours. An announcer declared it “the greatest event in professional wrestling history,” and the media confirmed that neither WrestleMania had had that many bouts “in one location.”307