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Pro-Wrestling USA Start Date?


Smack2k

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I think this is the first taping, courtesy of Clawmaster's AWA Results:

 

9/18/84 Memphis, TN @ Mid South Coliseum

Pro Wrestling USA TV taping

the Rock N Roll Express: Robert Gibson & Ricky Morton beat the Nightmares

Tony Atlas & Butch Reed beat Kurt Von Hess & Keith Robertson

Road Warriors beat Ken Raper & Mark Regan

Mr. Saito beat Tracey Smothers

Nick Bockwinkel beat Lanny Poffo

Jerry the King Lawler & Tommy Rich beat Dirty White Boys

AWA Champion Rick Martel beat Eddie Gilbert

Fabulous Ones beat the Masked Spoiler & Phil Hickerson

Road Warriors beat Tracey Smothers & Keith Eric

Jerry Lawler & Tommy Rich beat the Nightmares

Superstar Billy Graham beat Ken Raper

Mr. Saito beat Craig Carson

Harley Race beat Dutch Mantel

Fabulous Ones beat the Nightmares

Superstar Billy Graham beat Craig Carson

Dory Funk Jr beat Dutch Mantel

Mr. Saito beat Keith Eric

Rick Martel beat the Masked Spoiler

Tony Atlas & Butch Reed beat Dirty White Boys

Tony Atlas & Butch Reed beat the Masked Spoiler & Keith Roberson

Road Warriors beat Ken Raper & Craig Carson

Jerry Lawler beat Eddie Gilbert

Harley Race & Dory Funk Jr beat Tracey Smothers & Mark Regan

Larry Zbyszko beat Keith Eric

Rock N Roll Express beat Phil Hickerson & Lanny Poffo

Also on hand: Bob Backlund, Terry Funk, Sheik Adnan El-Kaissey

Attendance: 3000

 

I believe the first PWUSA show is labelled as October 10-ish, from memory. Maybe you saw a promo hyping the Memphis tv taping date?

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It was a combination of various promotions/territories as a response to Vince expanding, most notably JCP ("the NWA" as far as the Apter mags were concerned by 1985) and the AWA. It fizzled out by 86. Later, the AWA, Memphis and WCCW attempted another territory combination, which resulted in the 1988 Superclash III ppv disaster (business wise--the Lawler/Von Erich main event was pretty good).

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  • 2 weeks later...

For real Matt....they spend more time talking about how Bob Backlund is the "real champion"...

 

But from everything I've read and seen from PWUSA, the promotions were all out for themselves and since the AWA seemed to be the only one that stayed with the PWUSA logo the longest (never saw an NWA PWUSA show and only a few Memphis ones) I guess the AWA shoved their stuff to the front as much as they could....

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It was AWA, a few NWA guys, and then the assorted Wrestling Superstars, being Backlund, Lawler, Rich, Race, Dory Jr, and Graham. I know some guys like Backlund, Graham, and Race worked AWA around here but still. In all the promos they'd mention lots of names and belts and people, but no Flair.

 

The best part is Jimmy Hart managing Saito.

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For real Matt....they spend more time talking about how Bob Backlund is the "real champion"...

The main goal of Gagne et al was to establish themselves in the New York area, and Backlund was who they thought was the most recognizable name to the fans in that area that they had, so they put him up front as much as they could.

 

While being the champ for 6 years in the WWF would definitely make you recognizable pretty easily to wrestling fans of the area, people subjected to 6 years of your matches and promos would probably be just as inclined to want to watch someone new as opposed to the same-old that they had just come off of seeing for 6 years.

 

Could go both ways with it, I suppose.

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God damn bait and switch Pro Wrestling USA. On the 11-17 show they build the whole show to Roadies vs Rich/Lawler for the 11-24 show, including one of my favorite Lawler promos ever. And then on the 11-24 show, the main event instead is Ron Bass vs Joel Deaton.

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