The Wrestlezone Roundtable Discussion Thread

[It's...Baylariat!]

I, The Lariat, am starting the Wrestlezone Roundtable. I'm basing this off of what the WWE uses with their Legends of Wrestling Roundtable. This thread will be used primarily for discussing topics at hand with four of our more knowledgeable posters. I want to limit the discussion to four people at a time...but it can be any four people, as long as you want to give input on topics. The first topic I want to start is about the Territory Days. Many won't remember territories like World Class Championship Wrestling, the USWA (Memphis), Jim Crockett Promotions, WWWF, AWA, Mid South, Florida Championship Wrestling, and many others across North America. If you'd like to join this discussion, be one of the first three to send me a PM letting me know you want to be in on the discussion. I will be apart of the pilot of this Roundtable. I'd prefer to keep the particular thread be opened for a period of three days in order to get proper debate and topics covered.

Feel free to be apart of something that I hope catches on something fierce.

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

First Topic

The Territories​

When I was a young lad back in the late 80’s/early 90’s…the territories I came to admire became near non-existent. Jim Crockett promotions turned into WCW, WCCW merged with Memphis Wrestling and formed the USWA, and the AWA was on its last legs with Larry Zbysko carrying the company and Verne Gagne ready to sell to the highest bidder. But I do remember other smaller promotions. The UWF ran by Bill Watts, the GWF, which was an incarnation of the UWF retreads and NWA castoffs mixed in with some Indy stars.


The Territories that ran before WWE became a global phenom were great for their respected areas. Imagine traveling to Norfolk, Virginia, for a show with Ric Flair, Magnum TA, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, Dusty Rhodes, Dick Murdoch, The Rock ‘n Roll Express and Midnight Express. Maybe going to a show in Memphis with Jerry Lawler, Austin Idol, Tojo Yamamoto, Eddie Gilbert, Superstar Bill Dundee, and a young Jeff Jarrett on the card. How about going to the Sportatorium to see The Freebirds and Von Erich’s feud it up? The shows were different and limitless in nature. It was a unique experience having great wrestlers spread out through the United States.

And one man was king of most of the territories. The NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion, Ric Flair. He’d travel around the world, fight the best guy in that market, and walk out the champion. Hulk Hogan was big once he got to New York, but Flair has many, MANY more miles than Hogan and still ran as good, if not better than the Hulkster. Now, Hogan made the WWF a LOT of money as well as himself, but Flair made a lot of money for his promotion AND himself in the process also.

The first topic to discuss is what was your favorite territory growing up? There are many to chose from​

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[Mantaur Rodeo Clown]

I remember watching that Roundtable and it's a good idea Lariat. A good point they borught up which you may want to debate might be the fact that there were certainly more oppurtunities around then. Whereas now there are maybe 3 different promotions you really want to work for in America, there were many back in the 70/80's.

A good examply I thought was of The Midnight Rockers. They certainly didn't make it on their first run in the WWF. Whereas now that would mean disaster for any worker, being rejected from basically the only big time company, they could return and hone their skills further in the AWA.

Anyways, sweet idea. Good luck with it

 

[X]

First off, top notch thread idea Lariat. I know you mentioned this a week or so back, and I'm glad you went through with it. Now, onto the topic at hand, my personal favorite territory.

It's got to be Jim Crocket Promotions/Mid-Atlantic/NWA/WCW/Whatever the hell you want to call them, they had about 32 different names seemingly. While there were several other fantastic territories around at the time, like WCCW in Texas and the CWF in Florida, JCP stood far above, and everyone knew it. It was without a doubt the most desired territory to work, which is why most of the great stars of the time either came from there or passed through there on their way up to the WWF.

The feuds, and especially the matches from JCP is what really stands the test of time. Feuds like Ric Flair versus Dusty Rhodes, Magnum T.A. versus Tully Blanchard, Kerry Von Erich versus Ric Flair, there are countless more. I mean, JCP had the god damn Four Horsemen. Do I really need to elaborate on why that makes them such an amazing promotion?

Without a doubt, JCP all the way. That said, WCCW has always held a special place in my heart as the second best territory. The Von Erich family really put on some great shows before they unfortunately collapsed under their own demons, and the so-called "Von Erich Curse".

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

The Rowdiest crowds were in Dallas. The Von Erichs could cause a riot on a good night. It's amazing that the Freebirds actually passed through Texas to get to the NWA at the time. That faction was revolutionary. Having three guys who were tough as nails and looked great in the process. And instituting the "Freebird" rule in Tag Team matches was an innovative idea, simply because you can see ANY of the Freebirds in a Tag Title match.

I'm very partial to the JCP, because of the Four Horsemen. Not much needs to be said, except this faction paved the way for the NWO and DX. You had four guys working collectively, for one goal...and that was to keep the World Title on Ric Flair. Think about that for a second. Imagine a faction like that today. We're talking established superstars. The Legacy and Evolution didn't hold a candle to the Horsemen because most weren't established as of yet. Imagine having HHH, Edge, Randy Orton, and Chris Jericho in a faction. That would be comparable to the star power of the Four Horsemen. Those guys ran wild, were unbeatable and when they did get beat, the crowd went crazy.

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

But as far as pure hatred in most rivarlies, Memphis was the place to be. Jerry Lawler was a heel in the majority of places he went to, but he was nearly always face in Memphis. Anyone who dared to take on the King had instant heat. Superstar Bill Dundee was beloved until he feuded with Lawler. Hot Stuff Eddie Gilbert's heel status was taken to the next level when he hit Lawler with his car. Jerry Lawler was really the King of Memphis wrestling. Any big name that made a tour through Memphis had to wrestle Lawler. Whether it was Tully Blanchard as National Heavyweight Champion, Ric Flair as NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion, or Curt Hennig and Nick Bockwinkel as AWA World Heavyweight Champion. Of course, many don't know Lawler as a great wrestler or legendary figure. They know him as the guy who called the Diva's titties 'puppies' and as a color commentator.

Lawler was much more than that in the Tennessee/Kentucky area.