Promoter
Jim Crockett
Jim Crockett Sr. was born on June 2, 1908 in Bristol, Virginia
to Charles S. & Josie E. Crockett. As a youth, he became a fan of
pro wrestling, which had thrived during the 1920’s with such grapplers
as Strangler Lewis and Joe Stecher dominating the scene.
In the early 1930s, a dispute arose over the bookings of new wrestling
sensation Jim Londos, so New York promoter Jack Curley negotiated an alliance
between various regional managers that enabled Londos to travel the country
as champion while allowing the promoters to share profits evenly across
the regions. As a result of this arrangement, new wrestling “territories”
emerged across the U.S., and in 1935, a 25-year old Crockett, who had
also served as a concert promoter while also owning a theater and a restaurant,
decided to set up a permanent wrestling shop based in Charlotte, North
Carolina.
The organization, known as Jim Crockett Promotions, scheduled wrestling events in both Carolinas, as well as in Virginia, under the banner of Eastern States Championship Wrestling. Over the next decade, ESCW featured some of the top wrestling stars of the day. Then in 1948, wrestling’s top promoters gathered in Waterloo, Iowa to form the industry’s first true governing body, known as the National Wrestling Alliance. As the dominant force representing the Carolina region, Jim Crockett Promotions soon became an important member of the NWA, with Crockett serving as a chief lieutenant under longtime NWA President and leading St. Louis promoter Sam Muchnick.
Over the next 25 years, Jim Crockett Sr.’s Carolina territory reigned among the most successful regions in the NWA, as he regularly sold out the 16,000-seat Greensboro Coliseum featuring such stars as Johnny Weaver, Rip Hawk, Swede Anderson, and Gene & Ole Anderson on his Championship Wrestling program.
However, by the early 1970s, an ailing Crockett was forced to retire, as his son-in-law John Rigley had begun to take over many of the territory’s responsibilities. Jim Crockett Sr. died at age 64 on April 1, 1973, and control of the company was then ceded to his son, 28-year old Jim Crockett Jr., who took over the promotion and ultimately renamed it “Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling.”
A tag team tournament was held for three years among the NWA promotions to honor Jim Crockett. It was called the Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament. The cards which featured the tournaments were also headlined by NWA World Title Matches.
The 1986 show was held on April 19, 1986 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Road Warriors won the tournament by defeating Ron Garvin & Magnum T.A. in the finals. NWA World Champ Ric Flair defeated Dusty Rhodes by disqualification.
The 1987 show was held on April 10 & 11, 1987 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Super Powers (Dusty Rhodes & Nikita Koloff) won the tournament by defeating Tully Blanchard & Lex Luger in the finals. NWA World Champ Ric Flair pinned Barry Windham. What made this show memorable was Magnum T.A. appearing in support of Rhodes and Koloff. This was Magnum T.A.'s first appearance at a wrestling show since suffering career-ending injuries in an automobile accident on October 14, 1986.
The 1988 show was held on April 22, 1988 in Greenville, South Carolina
and on April 23, 1988 in Greensboro, North Carolina. Sting & Lex Luger
won the tournament by defeating Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard in
the finals. Nikita Koloff defeated NWA World Champ Ric Flair by disqualification
-------
(compiled by Brett Schwan)
