Smack2k Posted August 12, 2013 Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 Did he draw well in Central States in the 70's - 80's? He is bad everywhere he's gone and I have NEVER once heard a "you should see him vs..." or that kind of talk and never heard anyone defend him as a wrestler...yet he was featured in several areas and in big roles.... How did he last so long in a big role if he was soo bad and universally seen as bad...unless I am missing something... Curious where the disconnect is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrickHithouse Posted August 12, 2013 Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 I LOVE this topic! The only thing that makes sense is if he was good friends with Bob Geigel. ??? Conversations I have with older fans around Wichita usually go like this: "Oh yeah we used to go watch the matches, the one guy I remember is Bulldog Bob Brown" "Was he a good wrestler?" "Oh hell no, that's just the guy I remember" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted August 12, 2013 Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 From my understanding, he practiced on a sketch pad regularly and eventually drew very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soup23 Posted August 12, 2013 Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 I would had bet my mortgage that this thread was started by Brick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted August 12, 2013 Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 If not Bob Brown, then who? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Death From Above Posted August 12, 2013 Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 Bill Dundee. He's a bigger draw than Kurt Angle after all. This forum declared it so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted August 12, 2013 Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 Bill Dundee. He's a bigger draw than Kurt Angle after all. This forum declared it so. Pretty sure that thread happened at DVDVR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrisZ Posted August 12, 2013 Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 I wouldn't call Bob Brown a great draw but he was good enough for the small buildings that CS ran. Sure they ran Kansas City but on the Kansas side other than the rare shows at Kemper Arena which Bob was midcard on those shows. Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas was OLD and not very big. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrickHithouse Posted August 12, 2013 Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 I believe a group still runs Memorial Hall in KCKS to this day. There is a building in Wichita named "Bob Brown Memorial Expo Hall" that is attached to Century II which is the building where Bob Brown mowed through his opponents. My dad always told me the Expo Hall was named after the Bulldog and he would always say "that's why the building sucks". Just found out today that it was named for some politician. Yeah at this point I'm just scraping for info to keep this thread alive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smack2k Posted August 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 Seriously, this has bugged me since I really got into wrestling...NO ONE has ever said Bob Brown had a must see match or feud.. Was Central States SOOO bad that hte only guy they could rely on to stay and make programs around was shitty Bob Brown? Are there any stats anywhere on their numbers? Did Geigel even want his own territory to do well? Shit, Harley was part of it...how did HE still go with Bob? Its a nice area of the country...surely SOMEONE would like to headline there... Or was he like Geigel's puppet and did what he said no matter what...or maybe some other deeper shit was involved... Maybe Brown sent friends around getting pictures of certain promoters to use as collateral to keep him on top...what else is there? And more than one place thought enough of him to put him into a position...semi main or main... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goc Posted August 12, 2013 Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 I've only seen a little Central States footage but none of it was good. Really bad production values and very weak talent pool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smack2k Posted August 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 Buck Robely is really funny when he talks about his short time in Central States and how there was no way he was going with Bob Brown on top and brought in a bunch of his own guys.. His story gets a little blown up (way bigger deal than it was) after that, but still good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted August 12, 2013 Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 Any reason why no one ever talks or seems to care about Central States? Of all the territories, it seems to be the one that literally no one gives a shit about. Apart from Brick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrickHithouse Posted August 12, 2013 Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 I'm thinking about dropping a line to Harley Race and asking him about Bulldog Bob Brown. Anyone ever try to contact Harley? I emailed back and forth with his wife BJ about 10 years ago, but she has since passed. I seriously might try to contact Harley with some of these questions, if that is even remotely possible. Also, there may or may not be a "Best of" Bulldog Brown comp in the works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smack2k Posted August 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 Hey, I am all in to help with that if needed....THIS shit needs answered... Plus maybe he knows of some more Central States footage.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrisZ Posted August 12, 2013 Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 Flair always shit on the territory saying that it was an embarrassment to defend the NWA title at a Ford dealership in Kansas in front of 40 fans against Rufus R. Jones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victory Posted August 12, 2013 Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 Any reason why no one ever talks or seems to care about Central States? Of all the territories, it seems to be the one that literally no one gives a shit about. Apart from Brick. Out of all the 80's territories this one wasn't covered much in the 20 plus publications that were around back then might have something to do with it. They did have the rankings at times in the Apter mags, but that was about it, never any articles from what I remember. From the little I have seen it was really bad in the 80's. I think this was after JCP purchased it they were pushing the MOD Squad, enough said. It was worse than Wild West IMO. I have heard of people liking it in the 70's on KM though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdw Posted August 12, 2013 Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 Here's the NWA promotions in 1979: http://www.wrestling-titles.com/nwa/members/1979.html We probably should admit that Central States wasn't the worst of the bunch. Fundamentals out of New Mexico? Fred Ward Promotions in freaking Macon? Here's 76: http://www.wrestling-titles.com/nwa/members/1976.html Eastern Sports Association in New Brunswick? Central States was low on the list, but there were other arm pits of pro wrestling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrisZ Posted August 12, 2013 Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 Fred Ward was very successful as he ran Macon, Columbus, Albany and the rest of South Georgia. They had solid houses up until the promotion started going up north Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdw Posted August 12, 2013 Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 A side office out of GCW? Looks like he used their talent? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrisZ Posted August 12, 2013 Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 Yeah the TV show in the Southern part of the state would be half Techwood/half Macon or Columbus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdw Posted August 12, 2013 Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 I guess out of "respect" for Ward they let him be his own NWA promotion rather than being rolled under GCW? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrisZ Posted August 12, 2013 Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 Fred Ward was a major player in the NWA. He was a VP for years plus check out his position in the various incarnations of GCW in the NWA post Ray Gunkel Georgia Championship Wrestling, Inc. Atlanta, GA: -James E. Barnett - Initial Director -Paul Jones - Incorporator -Fred Ward - Initial Director -Roy Welch - Incorporator -Paul Jones - Initial Director -Lester Welch - Incorporator Southeastern Wrestling Corp. Atlanta, GA: -James E. Barnett - Initial Director -H. Wynne James, III - Incorporator -Fred Ward - Initial Director Fred Ward Promotions, Inc. Columbus, GA: -Ralph T. Freed - CEO -Frances Ward - CFO -Frances Freed - Secretary Championship Wrestling from Georgia, Inc, Columbus, GA: -Ralph T. Freed - CEO -Fred Ward - CFO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bix Posted August 13, 2013 Report Share Posted August 13, 2013 Mike London was another local promoter, he booked talent out of the Amarillo office. Most town promoters were just affiliates, not members. Ward had his own TV so he makes more sense than London, though. The Maritime territory paid really well, it just didn't run year-round. It was definitely above KC in stature, connection to St Louis aside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingsfan73 Posted August 13, 2013 Report Share Posted August 13, 2013 I grew up in northern Iowa, which was part of the AWA. When I talk wrestling with my co-workers here in central Iowa, the two wrestlers they always mention are Bulldog Bob Brown and Rufus R. Jones. I think I'll stick with Bock and Martel! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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