WWE Network Additions

The WWE Network has made some fantastic additions finally giving us some classic wrestling shows!

It all started with NWA World Championship Wrestling, then Smoky Mountain Wrestling and Mid-South Wrestling, later the American Wrestling Association.  The next day they added Stampede Wrestling and Global Force Wrestling.  I’m going to break down each show. 

 JCP: NWA World Championship Wrestling
Currently 95 Episodes from 11/2/1985 to 09/26/1987

World Championship Wrestling aired on WTBS from 1982 – 1992 with matches being supplied from Georgia Championship Wrestling (1982 – 1984), World Wrestling Federation (July 1984 – March 1985) Jim Crockett Promotions (March 1985 – November 1988), and finally Turner owned World Championship Wrestling from November 5, 1988 to March 1992.  On April 4, 1992 the show became WCW Saturday Night airing it’s final show on August 19, 2000.  Before that from December 25, 1971 to 1982 it was simply called Georgia Championship Wrestling.  Ted Turner wanted to change to name to World Championship Wrestling to give it a less regional sounding name.

Hosted by Tony Shiavone and David Crockett these episodes were taped at the Atlanta WTBS studios and featured promos about upcoming house shows and supercards like Starrcade and squash matches with top stars versus jobbers.

I’ve watched a few episodes with each one running about 77 – 85 minutes featuring, Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, Arn Anderson, Ole Anderson, Terry Taylor, “Cowboy” Ron Bass, Manny Fernandez, Jimmy Valiant, The Rock n’ Roll Express, James E. Cornette and the Midnight Express, George South and more.

I cannot stress enough how much love these shows!

 

Smoky Mountain Wrestling 

Currently 10 Episodes from 02/14/1994 to 08/5/1994

Hosted by the legendary Bob Caudle and Dutch Mantell matches were taped around their territory but primarily Tennessee.  Smoky Mountain is known for being the starting point for Chris Candido, Tammy Sytch, Kane, The Road Dog, Al Snow, New Jack, Bob Holly, and for bringing Chris Jericho and Lance Storm to the States.  

Smoky Mountain’s TV show featured interview segments, enhancement matches and matches featuring top stars vs each other.  SMW ran from October 1991 to December 1995.  

Mid-South Wrestling
Currently 10 Episodes from 10/30/1982 to 07/21/1986

Mid-South Wrestling was founded by “Cowboy” Bill Watts in 1979 after purchasing the NWA Tri-State territory from Leroy McGuirk.  The promotion ran shows in Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas.  Mid-South Television ran in syndication and in 1985 began airing on WTBS.  Mid-South changed the name of their promotion to the Universal Wrestling Federation in March 1986 in an attempt to become a national promotion.  The venture failed and resulting in Watts selling UWF to Jim Crockett April 9, 1987. 

Top stars during this time frame include a who’s who of wrestling, Ted Dibiase, Junkyard Dog, “Dr. Death” Steve Williams, Sting, The Rock n’ Roll Express, the Midnight Express, and so many more. 

AWA: American Wrestling Association 

Currently 6 Episodes from 03/04/1986 to 04/10/1988

AWA was founded by Verne Gagne in 1960 based out of Minnesota and ran until 1991.  These episodes are pulled from three different AWA television shows;

AWA All Stars ran in syndication from 1960 – 1991
AWA Championship Wrestling was taped for ESPN from 1985 - 1990
AWA Superstars which I can’t find anything on but the episode I watched was hosted by Larry Nelson in a studio and featured matches of the top stars of the AWA against each other.  

Many of the legends of wrestling passed through the AWA; Nick Bockwinkel, Hulk Hogan, The Rockers, The Road Warriors, Vader, Scott Hall, Rick Martel, Curt Hennig, and the list goes on and on and on. If you haven’t watched the WWE documentary The Spectacular Legacy of the AWA you need to find it and give it a watch.  It’s one of their finest productions. 

GWF: Global Wrestling Federation / USWA: United States Wrestling Association

Currently 7 Episodes and 3 best of USWA Specials from 5/01/1990 to 6/28/1992

GWF was founded in Dallas, Texas in 1991 by Max Andrews and Joe Pedicino in an apparent attempt to pick up where World Class left off.  They even managed to get on ESPN after the AWA folded.  They featured young and up and coming talent like the 1-2-3 Kid, Marcus Bagwell, Cactus Jack, JBL, Jerry Lynn, Booker T and more.  They also featured Dallas mainstays in Kevin & Kerry Von Erich, Steve Austin, Chris Adams, Skandor Akbar and more. 

I actually recall watching their show when I was kid, the match that stuck out was Kevin Von Erich, I don’t recall against who.

I’m not sure how the USWA fits in to being part of GWF as the USWA was around longer that GWF.  I tried researching on the internet but wasn’t able to find anything. 

Stampede Wrestling
Currently 6 Episodes from 11/12/1978 to 07/27/1979
Stampede Wrestling was founded by Stu Hart of the famous Hart Family in 1948 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.   Stampede Wrestling still exists today in name only.  The Stampede Wrestling that is part of the WWE library is from 1948 – 1989.  

The show is hosted by the voice of Stampede Wrestling Ed Whalen from 1957 to 1989 and was filmed at the Victorian Pavilion.  Stampede wrestling gave us The Dynamite Kid, Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Bad New Brown, Brian Pillman, Don Leo Jonathan, and so many more top competitors. 

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Later Readers!!

Smoky Mountain Wrestling in WCW & the WWE

 

Smoky Mountain Wrestling was a wrestling territory based out of Knoxville, TN that operated from October 1991 to December 1995 and it was run by one of the best talkers in the business James E. Cornette. 

Smoky Mountain was a traditional southern style wrestling territory that ran with the simply black and white formula of the good guys vs. the bad guys at a time when wrestling was beginning to shift to shades of gray. 

The top stars of the promotion were Brian Lee, The Dirty White Boy, Tracy Smothers, The Rock N Roll Express, The Heavenly Bodies and more.  The Heavenly Bodies has two incarnations, the first of Stan Lane & Dr. Tom Pritchard and the second Jimmy Del Ray taking over to Stan Lane.  Smoky Mountain was also the major American debut for Chris Jericho & Lance Storm as The Thrillseekers. 

For me one of the most unique things that Smoky Mountain managed to pull off was in 1993 when Jim Cornette used his connections to get SMW wrestlers and matches on major WCW & WWE Pay Per View events just a few months apart.

SMW Tag Team Champions: The Heavenly Bodies: Stan Lane & Dr. Tom Prichard lost two matches to Robert Gibson & Ricky Morton the Rock N Roll Express the first by disqualification on the February 6^th edition of WCW Saturday Night.  The second was a non-title match at the Superbrawl III pay-per-view on February 21^st.

Starting with at television taping in Alexandria Bay, New York on July 25, 1993 Smoky Mountain Wrestling started a working relationship with the WWE with Cornette appearing on WWE programing issuing a challenge to The WWE Tag Team Champions The Steiner Brothers on behalf of the Heavenly Bodies, now comprised of Dr. Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray.  On this card The Heavenly Bodies defeated Bobby Who & Mike Bucci, this matched aired on the 8/9/1993 episode of RAW.

July 26, 1993 in Utica, NY Superstars television taping:

Dark Match: Tag Team Champions: The Steiner Brothers defeated the Heavenly Bodies by disqualification when Jim Cornette interfered.

Aired 8/14/93: The Heavenly Bodies w/ Jim Cornette defeated Bert Centeno & Rich Meyers

Aired 8/28/93: The Heavenly Bodies w/ Jim Cornette defeated Tony Roy & Jason Headings

July 27, 1993 Plattsburg, NY Wrestling Challenge & All American Wrestling television taping:

Aired 8/15/93: The Heavenly Bodies w/ Jim Cornette defeated Virgil & Glen Ruth

Aired 8/22/93: The Heavenly Bodies w/ Jim Cornette defeated Darren Trujillo & Curt Sloan

Summer Slam, August 30, 1993 Auburn Hills, MI

Tag Team Champions: The Steiner Brothers defeated The Heavenly Bodies w/ Jim Cornette

August 31, 1993 Grand Rapids, MI Superstars television taping:

Aired 9/19/93: The Heavenly Bodies w/ Jim Cornette defeated the Smoking Gunns after Cornette hit Bart with his tennis racquet.

Aired 10/2/93: The Heavenly Bodies w/ Jim Cornette defeated Reno Riggins & John Paul

So Far the Heavenly Bodies were representing the Smoky Mountain Wrestling and the WWE built them as contenders for the WWE Tag Team Championship, something that would never happen today.  It would be like if REDragon: Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly from ROH were brought in and given a push to contend for the belts.

At the next set of tapings the Smoky Mountain Wrestling Tag Team Champions: The Rock n’ Roll Express: Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson were brought in to build towards a match against the Bodies on a WWE PPV.  That’s right WWE let another company build a program to between two tag teams that lead to a championship match on a WWE PPV something that would never happen today.

September 27, 1993 New Haven, CT Monday Night Raw taping:

Aired 10/4/93: The Heavenly Bodies w/ Jim Cornette defeated Mark Taylor & Scott Thomas

Aired 10/11/93: SMW Tag Team Champions: The Rock n’ Roll Express defeated Duane Gill & Barry Hardy

September 28, 1993 Worcester, MA Superstars taping:

Aired 10/30/93: The Heavenly Bodies w/ Jim Cornette defeated PJ Walker & Mark Thomas, during the match in an insert promo the SMW Tag Team Champions: The Rock n’ Roll Express cut a promo about facing the Bodies a the Survivor Series.

Aired 10/23/93 SMW Tag Team Champions: The Rock n’ Roll Express defeated Flex Armstrong & Richie Rich

September 29, 1993 Portland, ME Wrestling Challenge & All American Wrestling taping:

Aired 10/17/93: The Heavenly Bodies w/ Jim Cornette defeated Tom McNeany & Ray Roy

Aired 10/10/93: Well Dunn w/ Harvey Wippleman defeated the SMW Tag Team Champions: The Rock n’ Roll Express via count-out The Heavenly Bodies attacked Gibson in the aisle.

For some reason the WWE had the Rock n’ Roll Express do a house show tour leading up to the Survivor Series, and yet they had them lose every night.

November 18, 1993 Niagara Falls, NY House Show

November 19, 1993 Syracuse, NY House Show

November 20, 1993 Philadelphia, PA

November 21, 1993 Hartford, CT

The Headshrinkers defeated the SMW Tag Team Champions: The Rock n’ Roll Express in a non-title match

Survivor Series, November 24, 1993 Boston, MA Boston Garden

The Heavenly Bodies w/ Jim Cornette defeated SMW Tag Team Champions: Rock n’ Roll Express to win the championships.  Jim Ross noted in commentary the Cornette had been feuding with the Rock n’ Roll Express for 10 years starting with the Midnight Express.  Also because the match was under WWE rules there was no disqualification when Ricky Morton was thrown over the top rope to the floor, which was against the rules in Smoky Mountain Wrestling.

This essentially ended the run of Smoky Mountain Wrestling in the WWE.  In Early 1994 the Bodies were the SMW Tag Team Champions and made a couple defenses on WWE Television against jobbers.  Through-out 1994 The Heavenly Bodies competed in the WWE, the mostly defeated jobbers at television tapings and lost on the house show tours to either the Bushwackers or Smoking Gunns.   They also continued to appear through the Summer of 1995 and appeared on a couple In Your House PPV’s.   The Heavenly Bodies were the last Smoky Mountain Wrestling Tag Team Champions defeating The Dirty White Boy & Tracy Smothers on August 4, 1995 and reigning until the promotion folded on November 26, 1995.  

After the loss at Survivor Series The Rock n’ Roll Express didn’t work for the WWE again until they went on a tour of Eastern European countries in July of 1994 where they jobbed to the Smoking Gunns each night.  That seems pretty odd to me.   The Rock n’ Roll Express would return to the WWE in 1998 this time as heels with Jim Cornette as their manager as they represented the National Wrestling Alliance as the NWA World Tag Team Champions. 

I would like to thank and credit www.thehistoryofwwe.com

for the match results.