Post by tystates on Dec 2, 2009 20:26:05 GMT -5
These little articles I've been posting are things I collected around 4-5 years ago when I thought Travis and I might be doing a Legends Promoter. I forget who wrote this one and he didn't sign his name, but ran a website where I contacted him. It gives some of the things that went on in SWCW and Texas All-Star wrestling and some of those in LOW who wrestled there.
THE HISTORY OF SWCW/TEXAS ALL-STAR
SOUTHWEST CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING:
1978 - 04/1984
PROMOTER: JOE BLANCHARD
TEXAS ALL-STAR WRESTLING:
04/1985 - 11/1986
PROMOTER: FRED BEHREND
SOUTHWEST CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING was formed in 1978. By long time wrestler/promoter JOE BLANCHARD. Based in SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. They held most of their cards at the HEMISPHERE ARENA and the JUNCTION. SWCW soon became one of the hottest regions in the wresling game presenting some of the greatest and wildest matches with some of the best talent the 80's had to offer. SWCW was extreme long before the term became common place in pro wrestling. For a small independant promotion that was running head to head with FRITZ VON ERICH'S promotion it was able to generate enough excitment and popularity to become the first wrestling program on the USA network. With close to nationwide exposure on the USA network SWCW sponsered a tournament to crown their own world single and tag team champions which was strange because even with a nationwide show and some of the best in the wrestling game they rarely held shows outside of the SAN ANTONIO area except for occasional cards held in the YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO area that I can verify but still find odd. Southwest continued on holding some of the best cards ever, LOU THESZ was the acting commissioner and NICK BOCKWINKEL would be brought in to defend his AWA World title. The caliber of competition was simply incredible thanks in part to relationships with Houston, Georgia and St. Louis. Many former and future superstars made stops in the area. Unfortunatly things would turn sour and they were forced to sell their USA timeslot to Vince McMahon Jr. because they could no longer come up with $7000.00 a week to air their program. At the time off the sale it was the number 1 rated program on the network. The working relationship with Houston also came to an end and the relationship with Georgia ended not long after it began due to troubles in their own area. Even through all of that SWCW continued on doing what it did best - presenting kick ass wrestling until around late '84 when it came across a obstacle it could not overcome...Dissention from within the promotion. Fred Behrend who was Blanchards partner appearently sold their television timeslot to Fritz Von Erich's World Class Championship Wrestling behind his back leaving the promotion with only Spanish tv and a few american tv outlets. It was a blow SWCW could not survive and Blanchard would soon be forced to sell out to Behrend. This would lead to the promotion first becoming LoneStar Wrestling and than Texas All-Star Wresting.
SWCW World Tag Team Title
Brody & Dick Slater (1982)
Fabulous Ones (1984)
SWCW Brass Knuckles Title
Brody (1982)
Texas All-Star USA Heavyweight Title
DiBiase (1985)
Jimmy Valiant. I remember attending his 1st SCW match on Aug 22, 1984, he wrestled Killer brooks for the SCW at the event#4 at Harlindale Stadium. He also made a few more apperances in Oct of that year, and returned in early 85 for a few more matches.
Brody turned on Scott Casey after a cage match between Scott and Chris Adams. this was during the "transition phase" from Southwest to Texas All-Star... Adams was the heel and Brody was being billed as "The Million Dollar Man" Bruiser Brody (because Gary Hart said that's the amount it took to sign him)... Brody was a heel as well at the jumpstart of Texas All-Star from what I have seen on video... I think Brody & Adams were both working World Class at the time, but not sure about Casey, but he might have been as well... There was a tournament of sorts taking place at the time and ironicly the last two were Adams & Brody... Brody won... Brody was a labeled as the monster heel, but I think the name had already been TASW for sometime. This happened around 1986, and the SCW name was gone around Feb 1985.
!. Jonathon Boyd with the iron claw on Joe Blanchard.
2. Sheepherders throwing fire.
3. Bruiser Brody and YOU DROPPED A BOMB ON ME.
4. The Mummy
5. The Fantastics
6. Eric Embry and the piledriver off of the top rope.
7. Steve Simpson
8. Sam Houston and the Texas 2-step.
9. Voodoo Mulumba ( a Kamala knockoff? forerunner
of Rasta the Voodoo Mon and Papa Shango?)
10. Road Warrior's aquashing the Sheepherders.
1. Sheepherders blooding up Hangman Bobby Jaggers
2. Sheepherders beating the Grapplers and turning on Don Carson
3. Boyd vs Blanchard match
4. Eric Embry vs Bruiser Bob
5. Sheepherders vs Road Warriors
6. The Dynamic Duo Tully & Gino
7. Tully vs Gino
8. Kevin Sullivan brings evil to SW
9. Bruiser Bob's Pile Driver
10. The Sheepherders come to SW
1. The Sheepherders entering the area in 1983 and causing havoc.
2. The Sheepherders battling the following teams: The Road Warriors, The Zambuie Express, and the Fab ones.
3. The Event #4 at Harlindale stadium- Aug 1984 the last big event for SWCW. Main event- Carlos Colon Vs Abdullah the butcher.
4. Tully Blanchard turning on Gino Hernandez.
5. Eric Embry Piledriving Bobby Fulton off the second rope, thus they settle their feud in a texas first a scaffold match.
6. Tully Blanchard injuring Terry Funk's ear.
7. Joe Blanchard- Jon Boyd Feud.
8. The USA Network run.
9. Tully Blanchard returning as a face in late 83.
10. The Rock N Roll Express- Blonds feud.
Tully Blanchard destroying a young Eric Emery.
The Dynamic Duo splitting
The world championship tournament
Lou Thesz giving his belt to the new world champion (first time I ever saw Lou)
Tully turning on Gino
The Grapplers vs. Sheepherders w/Don Carson turning on The Grapplers, then The Sheepherders turning on Carson
Tully destroying Eric Embry
the heel turn of Bob Sweetan
Bobby Jaggers face turn (esp. Kiss my Flag Match)
The Fabulous Blondes
Killer Tim Brooks feuds with Bobby Jaggers & Manny Fernandez
Kevin Sullivan's arrival & face turn of Brooks
The Scaffold Match between Eric Embry & Bobby Fulton
Scott Casey as the perrenial face the entire time I watched
Their big shows were held at the Hemisfair Arena.
Coliseum in Corpus Christi
Sam Houston Coliseum while in Houston and a few shows in the Summit.
Bockwinkel
Brody
Ted DiBiase
Jim Duggan
Bobby Heenan
Stan Lane
Bob Orton Jr.
Tom Pritchard
Harley Race
Road Warriors
Iron Sheik
The Sheik
Jimmy Snuka
Johny Valentine
Larry Zbyszko
THE HISTORY OF SWCW/TEXAS ALL-STAR
SOUTHWEST CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING:
1978 - 04/1984
PROMOTER: JOE BLANCHARD
TEXAS ALL-STAR WRESTLING:
04/1985 - 11/1986
PROMOTER: FRED BEHREND
SOUTHWEST CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING was formed in 1978. By long time wrestler/promoter JOE BLANCHARD. Based in SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. They held most of their cards at the HEMISPHERE ARENA and the JUNCTION. SWCW soon became one of the hottest regions in the wresling game presenting some of the greatest and wildest matches with some of the best talent the 80's had to offer. SWCW was extreme long before the term became common place in pro wrestling. For a small independant promotion that was running head to head with FRITZ VON ERICH'S promotion it was able to generate enough excitment and popularity to become the first wrestling program on the USA network. With close to nationwide exposure on the USA network SWCW sponsered a tournament to crown their own world single and tag team champions which was strange because even with a nationwide show and some of the best in the wrestling game they rarely held shows outside of the SAN ANTONIO area except for occasional cards held in the YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO area that I can verify but still find odd. Southwest continued on holding some of the best cards ever, LOU THESZ was the acting commissioner and NICK BOCKWINKEL would be brought in to defend his AWA World title. The caliber of competition was simply incredible thanks in part to relationships with Houston, Georgia and St. Louis. Many former and future superstars made stops in the area. Unfortunatly things would turn sour and they were forced to sell their USA timeslot to Vince McMahon Jr. because they could no longer come up with $7000.00 a week to air their program. At the time off the sale it was the number 1 rated program on the network. The working relationship with Houston also came to an end and the relationship with Georgia ended not long after it began due to troubles in their own area. Even through all of that SWCW continued on doing what it did best - presenting kick ass wrestling until around late '84 when it came across a obstacle it could not overcome...Dissention from within the promotion. Fred Behrend who was Blanchards partner appearently sold their television timeslot to Fritz Von Erich's World Class Championship Wrestling behind his back leaving the promotion with only Spanish tv and a few american tv outlets. It was a blow SWCW could not survive and Blanchard would soon be forced to sell out to Behrend. This would lead to the promotion first becoming LoneStar Wrestling and than Texas All-Star Wresting.
SWCW World Tag Team Title
Brody & Dick Slater (1982)
Fabulous Ones (1984)
SWCW Brass Knuckles Title
Brody (1982)
Texas All-Star USA Heavyweight Title
DiBiase (1985)
Jimmy Valiant. I remember attending his 1st SCW match on Aug 22, 1984, he wrestled Killer brooks for the SCW at the event#4 at Harlindale Stadium. He also made a few more apperances in Oct of that year, and returned in early 85 for a few more matches.
Brody turned on Scott Casey after a cage match between Scott and Chris Adams. this was during the "transition phase" from Southwest to Texas All-Star... Adams was the heel and Brody was being billed as "The Million Dollar Man" Bruiser Brody (because Gary Hart said that's the amount it took to sign him)... Brody was a heel as well at the jumpstart of Texas All-Star from what I have seen on video... I think Brody & Adams were both working World Class at the time, but not sure about Casey, but he might have been as well... There was a tournament of sorts taking place at the time and ironicly the last two were Adams & Brody... Brody won... Brody was a labeled as the monster heel, but I think the name had already been TASW for sometime. This happened around 1986, and the SCW name was gone around Feb 1985.
!. Jonathon Boyd with the iron claw on Joe Blanchard.
2. Sheepherders throwing fire.
3. Bruiser Brody and YOU DROPPED A BOMB ON ME.
4. The Mummy
5. The Fantastics
6. Eric Embry and the piledriver off of the top rope.
7. Steve Simpson
8. Sam Houston and the Texas 2-step.
9. Voodoo Mulumba ( a Kamala knockoff? forerunner
of Rasta the Voodoo Mon and Papa Shango?)
10. Road Warrior's aquashing the Sheepherders.
1. Sheepherders blooding up Hangman Bobby Jaggers
2. Sheepherders beating the Grapplers and turning on Don Carson
3. Boyd vs Blanchard match
4. Eric Embry vs Bruiser Bob
5. Sheepherders vs Road Warriors
6. The Dynamic Duo Tully & Gino
7. Tully vs Gino
8. Kevin Sullivan brings evil to SW
9. Bruiser Bob's Pile Driver
10. The Sheepherders come to SW
1. The Sheepherders entering the area in 1983 and causing havoc.
2. The Sheepherders battling the following teams: The Road Warriors, The Zambuie Express, and the Fab ones.
3. The Event #4 at Harlindale stadium- Aug 1984 the last big event for SWCW. Main event- Carlos Colon Vs Abdullah the butcher.
4. Tully Blanchard turning on Gino Hernandez.
5. Eric Embry Piledriving Bobby Fulton off the second rope, thus they settle their feud in a texas first a scaffold match.
6. Tully Blanchard injuring Terry Funk's ear.
7. Joe Blanchard- Jon Boyd Feud.
8. The USA Network run.
9. Tully Blanchard returning as a face in late 83.
10. The Rock N Roll Express- Blonds feud.
Tully Blanchard destroying a young Eric Emery.
The Dynamic Duo splitting
The world championship tournament
Lou Thesz giving his belt to the new world champion (first time I ever saw Lou)
Tully turning on Gino
The Grapplers vs. Sheepherders w/Don Carson turning on The Grapplers, then The Sheepherders turning on Carson
Tully destroying Eric Embry
the heel turn of Bob Sweetan
Bobby Jaggers face turn (esp. Kiss my Flag Match)
The Fabulous Blondes
Killer Tim Brooks feuds with Bobby Jaggers & Manny Fernandez
Kevin Sullivan's arrival & face turn of Brooks
The Scaffold Match between Eric Embry & Bobby Fulton
Scott Casey as the perrenial face the entire time I watched
Their big shows were held at the Hemisfair Arena.
Coliseum in Corpus Christi
Sam Houston Coliseum while in Houston and a few shows in the Summit.
Bockwinkel
Brody
Ted DiBiase
Jim Duggan
Bobby Heenan
Stan Lane
Bob Orton Jr.
Tom Pritchard
Harley Race
Road Warriors
Iron Sheik
The Sheik
Jimmy Snuka
Johny Valentine
Larry Zbyszko
