TMC What If: Jim Crockett broke away from the NWA?

[TMC1982 0]

Granted, Crockett was the president of the NWA at the same time he was struggling (and ultimately failed) to keep up with Vince in the '80s. Lets say, Crockett decided to pull out of the NWA just after gaining the TBS slot in 1985. Therefore, he could continue obtaining all of the top talent and terrorities without having to answer to anybody above him like Vince. In the process, Crockett could continue carrying the NWA legacy (much like Ted Turner did with WCW) with no strings attached. Instead, Jim Crockett found himself virtually having to buy out the entire NWA. It didn't help matters that Vince was simply a more ambitious and savvy business man than Crockett.

[BruteSquad_BRODY 0]

He could've just scooped up the talent either way. The main reason he bought any territories was to obtain their arena rights and TV clearences. It had nothing to do with keeping the NWA happy. JCP was the NWA for the most part at that time, as Mid South was technically independant but could book the NWA champ and Fritz was readyto bail out on the NWA soon. Florida, Continential,Alabama etc etc were way minor promotions for the most part by this time (85)

[cabbageboy 0]

Precisely. I don't see what leaving the NWA would have done for Crockett either way since Crockett WAS the NWA in the mind of the public. Crockett did spend a ton of money buying up all the regional NWA territories though and that was a mistake. It was a Catch 22 position to be in, since Crockett couldn't blatantly screw over fellow NWA promoters (being the president of the NWA) but he was still trapped in a regional Carolinas mindset. Seemingly every promoter other than Vince was stuck in that mindset, but the difference is that Vince started out with the huge advantage of having NYC, Boston, and Philly all under his thumb.

[The Buzz 0]

The big what if I see posed in regards to Crockett is. What if he had stayed with what brought him to the table, and ran the strong towns that constantly drew big numbers, and kept his spending low? I know guys like Cornette think that they would still be around had they not tried to be WWF 2.0

[George_South 0]

The big what if I see posed in regards to Crockett is. What if he had stayed with what brought him to the table, and ran the strong towns that constantly drew big numbers, and kept his spending low? I know guys like Cornette think that they would still be around had they not tried to be WWF 2.0

 

 

Yeh, I want to agree with this in principle. But as I understand it, the crowds were thinning out toward the end of the '80s, even in traditional strongholds like the Greensboro Coliseum. McMahon was a more shrewd businessman who knew how to expand his product and keep it relevent.

 

As much as I loved JCP and even Cornette's SMW years later....neither man could keep his company prospering.

[Diamonddust 0]

The big what if I see posed in regards to Crockett is. What if he had stayed with what brought him to the table, and ran the strong towns that constantly drew big numbers, and kept his spending low? I know guys like Cornette think that they would still be around had they not tried to be WWF 2.0

 

With Dusty as the booker, costs were never going to be low. They were spending money like a drunken sailor at that point.

[BruteSquad_BRODY 0]

Losing your #2 baby face (Magnum TA) and having a falling out with your top blow job tag team (RnR Xpress) didn't help matters either

 

Then killing the Road Warriors and Luger by not putting them over for the World Titles helped finish them off.

[George_South 0]

Losing your #2 baby face (Magnum TA) and having a falling out with your top blow job tag team (RnR Xpress) didn't help matters either

 

Then killing the Road Warriors and Luger by not putting them over for the World Titles helped finish them off.

 

 

Agreed (re: Magnum).

 

The Warriors beat the Midnight Express in '88 to win the tag titles, no?

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Losing your #2 baby face (Magnum TA) and having a falling out with your top blow job tag team (RnR Xpress) didn't help matters either

 

Then killing the Road Warriors and Luger by not putting them over for the World Titles helped finish them off.

 

 

Agreed (re: Magnum).

 

The Warriors beat the Midnight Express in '88 to win the tag titles, no?

 

The Warriors should have won the titles from Anderson and Blanchard at Starrcade '87. The finish in that match totally killed their momentum (and the Chicago market). They turned heel in 1988, which the fans never bought, and had a lackluster run with the belts in late 1988 and early 1989. All in all, it was a disastrous run given what they should have meant to the promotion.

[BruteSquad_BRODY 0]

In their 2nd year in the biz, they were headlining in the AWA so yeah, Dusty dragged the fans along too long on that one

[George_South 0]

Losing your #2 baby face (Magnum TA) and having a falling out with your top blow job tag team (RnR Xpress) didn't help matters either

 

Then killing the Road Warriors and Luger by not putting them over for the World Titles helped finish them off.

 

 

Agreed (re: Magnum).

 

The Warriors beat the Midnight Express in '88 to win the tag titles, no?

 

The Warriors should have won the titles from Anderson and Blanchard at Starrcade '87. The finish in that match totally killed their momentum (and the Chicago market). They turned heel in 1988, which the fans never bought, and had a lackluster run with the belts in late 1988 and early 1989. All in all, it was a disastrous run given what they should have meant to the promotion.

 

Yeh that makes sense. When they failed to beat Tully/Arn at Chi-Town Heat, I figured they would never get the straps.

 

I dunno....I think they drew some legit heat after turning on Sting and putting him in a neckbrace.

 

Course, I was fairly young so maybe I'm not remembering the crowd reaction that well.

 

[BruteSquad_BRODY 0]

The matches and promos are on youtube for the Sting/Dusty roadies angle